Wildlife care specialists at the Zoo and Park encourage this nesting behavior by providing the birds with tubes of sandy soil attached horizontally in a vertical wall, so the birds can excavate their tunnel nests. All bee-eaters are earth-hole nesters, digging their tunnels with an oval chamber at the end for eggs. Bee-eater nests are dug into the earth.Ī “hole" home. The rather open habitats provide more insect foraging opportunities. White-throated bee-eaters breed in a narrow band of sub-desert steppe along the southern edge of the Sahara, and then migrate south to humid tropical rainforests of west and central Africa for the non-breeding season. The colony site is 2.5 to 4.4 miles (4 to 7 kilometers) from the foraging area. Birds normally change sites during the months before breeding season. Colony sites are on nearly vertical, bare cliff faces. White-fronted bee-eaters inhabit wooded savannas, sandy cliffs, African grassland and open scrub, especially in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya at 4,593 to 6,562 feet (1,400 to 2,000 meters). You can tell them apart at a glance: the white-fronted has red throat, while the white-throated has a white throat!īranching out. The white-throated bee-eater, also found in Africa, has pale green upper parts, a black-and-white striped head, white throat (hence the name), black upper breast band, red eye, and a black bill. The white-throated bee-eater is a striking looking bird. It has olive colored upper parts, a white forehead and chin, and a red throat. Just bee. The white-fronted bee-eater is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. White-fronted bee-eaters enjoy a well-rounded diet of insects deftly plucked from sky and earth. The carmine bee-eater performs an elaborate, three-stage migration, which is not yet fully understood. Most tropical bee-eaters are largely non-migratory, but some make lengthy, dramatic journeys. Some names harken back to their home: Australian, European, and Somali bee-eaters. Many bee-eater names reflect their flashy feathers if not the lack of imagination of the namers: red-throated, blue-headed, black-headed, red-bearded, purple-bearded, blue-cheeked, and cinnamon-chested, white-fronted, rosy, and little green bee-eaters. They are considered a medium sized bird, reaching 9.5 inches in length. Commonalities include small feet with a fusing of the three forward toes, brilliantly colored plumage, and cavity nesting in earth-banks or old trees. Bee-eaters belong to the Coraciiformes Order, sharing the group with kingfishers, motmots, todies, rollers, and hornbills. Females leave their natal group to join her mate’s family. This cooperative behavior vastly improves survivorship of chicks. They appear to recognize parents, siblings, offspring, friends, and nesting neighbors, likely from voice recognition. Each bird lives in an extended family with members of four overlapping generations. Bee-eaters of both sexes alternate between being breeders and helpers in their clan. Many species (but not all) are monogamous, cooperative breeders living in large colonies of over 100 birds, but can reach 200 birds if conditions are favorable. Bee-eaters have one of the most complex social systems of any birds. albicollis bee-eaters.īirds of a feather. They are medium-sized, boisterous birds males and females look nearly alike. The San Diego Zoo is pleased to care for two types of bee-eater in a walk-through aviary in Africa Rocks: white-fronted Merops bullockoides and white-throated M. Most bee-eaters are found in Africa and Asia, with some in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. These are just some of the characteristics of the 22 bee-eater species making up the Meropidae family.Īptly named, these birds fearlessly pluck bees (and other flying insects) out of the air with their strong, downward curved beak, smack the victim’s head on a branch to stun it, rub its rump on a surface to remove the stinger and flush out the toxins, and chow down. And they can be deeply committed to others. They are fast and fierce as a missile when it comes to securing a meal. They are brightly colored, gregarious, and flamboyant.
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