General Information

The Rainbow Bee-eater, is the only species of Meropidae found in Australia.

Physical Description

Rainbow bee-eaters are brilliantly colored birds that grow to be up to 8 inches in length, which includes their elongated tail feathers. The upper back and wings are an iridescent green, and the lower back and under-tail covers are bright blue. The undersides of the wings and primary flight feathers are red and tipped with black, and the tail is black to deep violet. The crown of the head, the stomach and breast, and the throat are pale yellowish in color, and it has a black bib and stripe through its red eye.

Diet

Rainbow bee-eaters mostly eat flying insects, but, as their name implies, they have a real taste for bees. Rainbow bee-eaters are always watching for flying insects, and can spot a potential meal up to 150 feet away. Once it spots an insect, it will swoop down from its perch and catch it then knock their prey against their perch to subdue it. Rainbow bee-eaters are actually immune to the stings of bees and wasps. After capturing a bee they will rub the insect's stinger against their perch to remove it, closing their eyes to avoid being squirted with poison from the ruptured poison sac. Bee-eaters can eat several hundred bees a day, but their damage is generally balanced by their role in keeping pest insects under control.

Habitat

Rainbow bee-eaters are a common species and can be found during the summer in un-forested areas in most of southern Australia and Tasmania. They migrate north during the winter into northern Australia, New Guinea, and some of the southern islands of Indonesia.

Reproduction

Breeding season occurs before and after the rainy season in the north, and from November to January in the south. Rainbow bee-eaters are believed to mate for life. The male will bring the female insects while she digs the narrow burrow that will be their nest. The burrow is so narrow that when exiting, the birds' bodies pump in fresh air and push out stale air. The female will lay between 3 and 7 glossy white eggs, which are incubated for about 24 days until hatching. The young bee-eaters will fledge after about 30 days and are fed by both parents and any other bee-eaters that are available to help.