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Merops philippinus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: The blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds in southeastern Asia. It is strongly migratory, seen seasonally in much of peninsular India. This species is sometimes considered to be conspecific with the blue-cheeked bee-eater. This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green; its face has a narrow blue patch with a black eye stripe, and a yellow and brown throat; the tail is blue and the beak is black. It can reach a length of 23–26 cm, including the two elongated central tail feathers. Sexes are alike.
Spotted on a wall of earth (approximately 6 feet high) that drops directly into a river in Nasugbu, Batangas Province, Philippines. Several holes (that may be nests) are found.
Thanks to Paul Davis for identifying this.
@Paul, Thank you for the ID.
@armadeus.4, I think you're right. The wall is about six feet high which drops directly onto a river, so there's very little chance of being disturbed by humans or other animals. I was on a banca (a small canoe with outriggers) when I took the photos.
I wonder if they are looking for a potential nesting spot...Also, it looks like there may be other burrows/nests already to the left above and below. They do nest communally so perhaps...Thank you for sharing :)
Spotted on May 13, 2007
Submitted on May 1, 2019
