🌍 European bee-eater (Merops apiaster)
The European bee-eater is a richly coloured, slender bird, about 27-29 cm long, with a black beak, brown and yellow upperparts, and green wings. Sexes are similar, though females may have greener shoulders.
They breed in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia, preferring open country near sandy banks for nesting. Most populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, but a resident population exists in southern Africa.
Highly gregarious, European bee-eaters nest colonially in self-dug tunnels in sandy banks. They feed and roost communally, often catching insects, especially bees, wasps, and hornets, in flight. Before consumption, they remove the sting by striking the insect against a hard surface. 2.5 Flash (Edited)
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
📷: Photo by makamuki0 via Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/photos/bee-eater-abellerol-bird-3388890/
HQMZ
🌍 European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) #EurasianBirds #EuropeanBirds #AsianBirds #AfricanBirds | #EuropeanBeeEater #MeropsApiaster | #BeeEaters #BeeEaterFamily 📷: Photo by makamuki0🦜 #birdsoftheworld #birds