Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Merops persicus
A lime-green bee-eater with a thin black mask edged with aquamarine blue. Bright yellow-and-red throat patch is small compared to many other bee-eaters. Somewhat similar to Blue-tailed Bee-eater; look out for less extensive blue around the eye on Blue-tailed, the namesake blue tail, and a larger orange throat patch compared to Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. Found in open areas as well as forests from lowlands up into middle elevations. Gives a pleasantly mellow call starting off with a ticking note, followed by a trill.
Identification
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green; its face has blue sides with a black eye stripe, and a yellow and brown throat; the beak is black. It can reach a length of 31 cm (12 in), with the two elongated central tail feathers adding another 7 cm (2.8 in). Sexes are mostly alike but the tail-streamers of the female are shorter.<p>This is a bird which breeds in sub-tropical semi-desert with a few trees, such as acacia. It winters in open woodland or grassland. 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. However, this species probably takes more dragonflies than any other food item. Its preferred hunting perch is telephone wires if available.<p>Blue-cheeked bee-eaters may nest solitarily or in loose colonies of up to ten birds. They may also nest in colonies with European bee-eaters. The nests are located in sandy banks, embankments, low cliffs or on the shore of the Caspian Sea. They make a relatively long tunnel of 1 to 3 m (3–10 ft) in length in which the four to eight (usually six or seven), spherical white eggs are laid. Both the male and the female take care of the eggs, although the female alone incubates them at night. Incubation takes 23–26 days.<p>The call sounds 'flatter' and less 'fluty' than the European bee-eater.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recognized:<p>This species is closely related to blue-tailed bee-eater, M. philippinus of East Asia, and the olive bee-eater of Africa, and has been treated as being the same species (conspecific).
- Scientific name
- Merops persicus
- Authority
- Pallas, 1773
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Meropidae
- Genus
- Merops
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PAL : sw, nw AF
- Non-breeding range
- AF
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Orange Minivet
Pericrocotus flammeus
Brightly-colored forest bird with a long tail. Male is decked out in black and orange-red, female in gray and yellow. Male lacks Small Minivet’s contrasting gray crown and back. Gives very high, somewhat bubbling twitter of “weeeep” notes. Travels in flocks, sometimes mixed in with other species. Often seen in bounding flight over the forest canopy.
Giant Conebill
Conirostrum binghami
Scarce to locally fairly common (rare in Chile) nomadic bird of Polylepis woodland in the high Andes. Found as singles or pairs, foraging by creeping on trunks and branches of Polylepis trees, at times in association with mixed-species feeding flocks. Can be confiding, and at other times may fly off long distances in search of other Polylepis patches. No similar species: note pointed bill, white cheeks, and bright rusty underparts, which blend well with Polylepis bark.
Indian Robin
Copsychus fulicatus
A nondescript robin; males are primarily black with chestnut bottom feathers, although males in the northern population have brownish upperparts. Males also have a white shoulder patch and a relatively long tail. Females have completely brown upperparts, lack the male’s white shoulder patch, and have grayish-brown underparts. They are generally seen in pairs, foraging on the ground with the tail cocked up. Found in open country, at forest edges, around human habitation, and in scrub lands.
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