Merops ornatus
The Rainbow Bee-eater is mostly turquoise green with a black line through its eye like a bandit, and another under its yellow throat. With its long black beak it really does catch bees, beating them on a branch until they can no longer sting before tossing them down. It catches most of its insect food while flying from trees or low shrubs.
When building a nest the Rainbow Bee-eater gets away from the light altogether. It digs a long tunnel in a bank and lays four to five eggs in a chamber at the end. In southern Australia it is too cold for bee-eaters in winter so they fly north to New Guinea.
 Listen to the Rainbow Bee-eater
Call © Andree Griffin & R.J. Swaby
Text by Stephen Garnett
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