European Bee-Eater

The European Bee-Eater is a relative of the Kingfisher, with a somewhat varied habitat and unusual nest-building habits. This bird, whose feathers generally contain all the colors of the rainbow, creates burrows, rather than traditional nests. Because of this, they are prone to parasite infestations. As their name suggests, they feed primarily on bees, though they also eat other flying insects, such as wasps.

Amazing Facts

• European Bee-Eaters build nests in burrows.
• European Bee-Eater females may lay a second clutch of eggs per mating season if the first eggs or hatchlings are killed.
• Their scientific name means “Bee-Eater Bee-Eater.”
• Bee-Eaters can consume up to 250 bees per day.
• A Bee-Eater doesn’t get stung because they remove the stinger from the insect via repeated blunt force.

Where To Find European Bee-Eaters

The European Bee-Eater can be found across three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa. The best time to view them is in Europe during the mating season, between May 1 through late June or early July. During this time, they may be found in abundance in Italy, Switzerland, Romania, and France, nesting in sand dunes and near lakes.

Scientific name

The European Bee-Eater’s scientific name is Merops apiaster. The name is a combination of the Greek word for bee-eater and the Latin name for bee-eater. They come from the Family Meropidae, in the Class Aves.

Evolution

European bee-eaters belong to the genus Merops along with 27 other species, which share the same colorful plumage and penchant for snatching bees and wasps out of the air. Along with their closest cousins, they form part of the wider bee-eater family referred to as Meropidae, which contains three genera, Merops, Meropogon, and Nyctyornis.

All bee-eaters are Coraciiformes, avians noted for their especially colorful plumage. As a result, European bee-eaters are also related to kingfishers, motmots, rollers, and todies. Fossil evidence of this order dates back to the Paleogene, a period spanning 23 to 66 million years ago, extending from the Cretaceous to the Neogene.

Appearance

European Bee-Eaters are very brightly colored birds. Their coloring contains just about every color of the rainbow, somewhat muted. They have a black beak and feet, with black across their eyes, at the base of their throats, and edging their wings. Their throat is yellow, while their chest is pale green and blue. They have red and orange across their wings, as well as blue, white, and pale yellow.

Size and Behavior

The European Bee-Eater builds a nest by burrowing into hillsides and slopes. These birds are approximately one foot long and about four inches high. Their wingspan can be anywhere between 1.5 feet and 20 inches. They weigh an average of two ounces, with some slightly heavier and some slightly lighter. Their top-flight speed is about 30 miles per hour. The European Bee-Eater’s call is a high-pitched and fast-paced trill that has a very sweet sound. The call may also include some scratchier notes. Their migration takes them as far south as the tropics of Africa.

Diet

Unsurprisingly, a European Bee-Eater’s diet consists mainly of bees, of which they may consume up to 250 per day. However, they also eat wasps and other insects. They don’t get stung because they use their beak to thrash the bee or wasp against the ground or rock until the stinger falls off. They rarely venture outside of their main habitat in search of food, unless insects are scarce in their location.

Predators and Threats

Though they are under no major threats, European Bee-Eaters do have their predators and weaknesses. Because of their burrowing nature, they are susceptible to parasites that live in the dirt. They are also easier prey for snakes and reptiles that like to eat their eggs and young hatchlings. Aside from that, their main predators, once they reach adulthood, are owls and raptors.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

A female European Bee-Eater lays between four to seven eggs over the course of the mating season, generally in two-day intervals. It takes each egg about three to four weeks to hatch a baby Bee-Eater. Each baby bird is hatched in the order it was laid. The baby birds will stay in the nest for approximately one month. If something happens and the first nest of young is killed, the female may lay a second clutch of eggs during the mating season. Bee-Eaters may live up to six years.

Population

The bird’s endangered status is considered to be LC or of Least Concern. That is likely due to the estimated population size, which exceeds 78 million birds, over 55 million of which are of breeding age.