| Swallow-tailed bee-eater | |
|---|---|
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| M. hirundineus hirundineus Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa | |
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| M. hirundineus chrysolaimus Senegal | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Coraciiformes |
| Family: | Meropidae |
| Genus: | Merops |
| Species: | M. hirundineus |
| Binomial name | |
| Merops hirundineus Lichtenstein, 1793 | |
| Synonyms | |
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The swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in savannah woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. It is partially migratory, moving in response to rainfall patterns.
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. Its colours and readily visible forked tail make this species unmistakable. It is mainly green with a yellow throat, blue gorget and black eye stripe and beak. It can reach a length of 20–22 cm, including the long forked green or blue feathers. Sexes are alike.
This is a species which prefers somewhat more wooded country than most bee-eaters. This attractive bird is readily approached. Just as the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. Swallowtail has a preference for honeybees.
These bee-eaters are nesting as pairs or in very small colonies in sandy banks, or similar flat ground. They make a relatively long tunnel in which the 2 to 4 spherical, white eggs are laid. These birds also feed and roost communally.
References
- ^ BirdLife International (2012). "Merops hirundineus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
External links
- Swallow-tailed bee-eater - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.