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Project Noah Nature School
Merops apiaster
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly-coloured, slender bird. It has brown and yellow upper parts, whilst the wings are green and the beak is black. It can reach a length of 27–29 cm (10.6–11.4 in), including the two elongated central tail feathers. Sexes are alike. 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. Before eating its meal, a European Bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. It eats some 250 bees daily. Lizards and frogs are also taken.(wiki)
migrant through Egypt in spring and autumn
spotted from my 6th floor balcony in Ma'adi, Cairo
Spotted on Apr 29, 2007
Submitted on Feb 7, 2012
5 Comments
Thanks! Yes, the colors are amazing!
Love the coloring of the bee-eaters!
Lovely!
They are, aren't they?! My absolute favorite bird - I would sit and watch them for hours on my balcony every afternoon when there were in town. :-)
Beautiful