Merops ornatus
The Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is a striking, slender bird renowned for its vibrant plumage, measuring 19-21 cm in length, with an elongated central tail streamer that can extend total length to 28 cm. Its upperparts are predominantly green, transitioning to brilliant blue on the rump and tail, while the underparts are rusty orange and yellow, often with a green wash. A distinctive black eye-stripe, a chestnut crown, and a black gorget beneath a yellow throat are key identification ma...
Open woodlands, savannas, grasslands, and agricultural areas, often near sandy banks for nesting, typically found at low to moderate elevations.
Feeds almost exclusively on flying insects, predominantly bees, wasps, dragonflies, and butterflies, caught acrobatically in mid-air.
Rainbow Bee-eaters are highly diurnal, active birds that forage during the day and often gather in communal roosts in trees at night. Their primary foraging strategy involves perching conspicuously before making swift, acrobatic sallies to catch flying insects in mid-air. When a stinging insect l...
The Rainbow Bee-eater boasts a vast distribution across Australia, breeding throughout the entire mainland, including Tasmania as a rare vagrant, and extending its breeding range into southern New Guinea. During the austral winter, southern Australian populations undertake a significant northward...
Least Concern
- The Rainbow Bee-eater is the only species of bee-eater naturally occurring in Australia. - It possesses a unique technique to remove the venomous stingers from bees and wasps by repeatedly striking and rubbing them against a perch. - This species is a cooperative breeder, with young birds from ...