Merops philippinus
The Blue-tailed Bee-eater (*Merops philippinus*) is a strikingly vibrant insectivore, instantly recognizable by its slender form and brilliant green plumage, accented with a rufous throat patch and a striking black eye stripe. Measuring 23-26 cm in length, exclusive of the two elongated central tail streamers which can add another 7-8 cm, this species showcases a distinctive blue tail that gives it its common name. Its elegant, often iridescent green back, wings, and belly contrast with the c...
This adaptable species favors open country, grasslands, agricultural areas, and wetlands, particularly those near sandy riverbanks or coastal areas suitable for nesting. It is typically found in lowlands, though it can occur at moderate elevations up to 1,500 meters.
The diet consists almost exclusively of flying insects, with a particular fondness for bees, wasps, dragonflies, and butterflies, which they capture in flight using their slender, decurved bills.
Blue-tailed Bee-eaters are highly social and diurnal birds, spending their days foraging in communal groups and roosting together in large numbers, often on exposed branches or power lines. Their primary foraging strategy involves aerial hawking; they perch conspicuously on elevated spots, dartin...
The Blue-tailed Bee-eater boasts an extensive range across tropical and subtropical Asia, encompassing a vast breeding distribution from the Indian subcontinent eastward through Southeast Asia. Breeding populations are found in parts of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambo...
Least Concern
- Blue-tailed Bee-eaters are masters of aerial acrobatics, catching insects mid-flight with astonishing precision. - They have a unique method of disarming stinging insects: they repeatedly strike the insect against a perch to remove the venomous stinger before consumption. - These birds are high...