Blue-tailed Bee-eater
By Charlie • March 24, 2008 • 7 commentsThere are (currently) 26 members of the Meropidae, the Bee-eaters - an extraordinary family of aerial acrobats with plumages that for the most part capture pure sunlight and throw it back to the observer in a stunning range of greens, yellows, and carmine-reds. With the exception of just a handful of more ’shy and retiring’ deep-forest species, bee-eaters are showy, loud, and incredibly beautiful, superbly adapted to twist and dive like slim rainbow-hued rockets after their insect prey and - as far as I’m concerned anyway - they are amongst the visual highlights of any birding day.
Whilst they are showy they are also essentially airborne much of the time, and when not they’re often found perching high up on exposed branches scattering reflected light across the landscape, chattering to each other, and keeping gleaming eyes open for a passing bee. Very occasionally these jewels of the heavens land on the ground (perhaps to pick up terrestrial insects or ants) - and even less occasionally they allow a birder/photographer a close approach. Feast your eyes then, my friends, on one of the most gorgeous birds in southern Asia, the glory that is the Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus…and forgive an over-excited blogger a little over-written prose!
Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus, Changi, Singapore, 22 March 2008
A gorgeous bird, Charlie!
That bird is far too gorgeous to exist…you invented it in photoshop, didn’t you?
Lovely photos! And to think they look all the more amazing when in air!
Over-written prose?
I don’t see over-written prose.
Well, I see prose, but over-written?
Sorry, can’t make it out.
Actually, you’re the first to capture at least a tiny fraction of the beauty of bee-eaters in words. You still don’t do their beauty justice to the fullest extend as I think no-one can ever achieve that, but you got pretty close, my friend, and beautifully so as well!
how long do they live?
Hi Charlie, I went bird-watching again by the forest along Sixth Ave this morning and spotted a pair of these specimens. As it was about 0730 and I was looking from below, their colours weren’t immediately obvious to me but I was curious about their comparatively long and curved beaks. And couldn’t help but notice an extra long tail feather, almost like that of the phoenix or bird of paradise. I was a little puzzled why the bird kept launching off the branch, circling and returning to its perch, until I realised that it was catching insects in mid-flight. At the time, I’d no idea what species this was, certainly not knowing it was aptly named bee-eater.
From below, I noticed the shape of its body in full flight — exactly like a kite. Now I know its name and “hunting” ability, it’s obvious why it needs such a wing formation.
It was truly a delight to eventually get up to a height enough to catch more of its natural colours and plumage. Now that I’ve found your photos of the bee-eater in the bright sunlight, I can admire its full range of colours. I presume it’s a dawn bird or does it feed at dusk too?
Hi Charlie, I went bird-watching again by the forest along Sixth Ave this morning and spotted a pair of these specimens. As it was about 0730 and I was looking from below, their colours weren’t immediately obvious to me but I was curious about their comparatively long and curved beaks. And couldn’t help but notice an extra long tail feather, almost like that of the phoenix or bird of paradise. I was a little puzzled why the bird kept launching off the branch, circling and returning to its perch, until I realised that it was catching insects in mid-flight. At the time, I’d no idea what species this was, certainly not knowing it was aptly named bee-eater.
From below, I noticed the shape of its body in full flight — exactly like a kite. Now I know its name and “hunting” ability, it’s obvious why it needs such a wing formation.
It was truly a delight to eventually get up to a height enough to catch more of its natural colours and plumage. Now that I’ve found your photos of the bee-eater in the bright sunlight, I can admire its full range of colours. I presume its a dawn bird or does it feed at dusk too?