Being home to 492 bird species, Sri Lanka is a much sought-after destination for birdwatching. Among them, brightly colored bee eaters are one of the most fascinating group of birds. They are fairly common in most of the national parks and bird sanctuaries on the island. Their plumage with vibrant hues does not fail to catch bird watchers’ attention.
As the name suggests, bee eaters eat insects, especially bees, wasps, and hornets. Thus, they are quite helpful to keep the insect population under control. They wait in an open perch and catch insects in flight. Above all. these birds are experts to catch insects by diving through the air like arrows. Their instant movements to catch bees and other insects in mid-air is totally entertaining to watch.
Although there are over 20 species of bee eaters available in the world, only three major species are found in Sri Lanka. Here we are going to show you the details of the species of bee eaters you’ll find in Sri Lanka.
1. Little Green Bee Eater
The little green bee eater (Merops orientalis ceylonicus) is a resident species that live throughout the year in Sri Lanka. Their length is around 16–18 cm and it is the smallest among the Sri Lankan bee eaters. Hence it calls as little green bee eater. As well, it is the most abundant resident. They are a common sight in the dry, arid, and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka.
Green bee eaters are so colorful with their plumes are predominantly luminous green. Another unique characteristic is the black stripe across their eyes. Its chin and throat have a bluish hue and it has a couple of centrally protruding tail feathers. Both male and female birds have a similar appearance.
2. Chestnut Headed Bee Eater
The chestnut-headed bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti) is a resident breeder in Sri Lanka. It is a slender bird, around 18–20 cm long. They have a black stripe on the eye but lack the two elongated central tail feathers. This petite, richly colored bird gives an eye-pleasing view to the bird watchers.
Chestnut-headed bee eater has a unique chestnut coloration at the top of its head. Its head is quite contrastingly bright reddish in color against its much lighter yellowish rest of the body. From behind, the chestnut color appears like a veil from top to middle of its body.
3. Blue-Tailed Bee Eater
Blue-tailed bee eater (Merops phillippinus) is a common and regular winter migrant that is arriving in large numbers every year to Sri Lanka. During its stay, it is the most common bee eater occurring in the country. This large group of bee eaters outnumbers and become more widespread than the other two resident species.
The Blue-tailed Bee-eater is the largest among bee eaters in Sri Lanka. It can reach a length of 25-30 cm, including the two elongated central tail feathers. This species is also richly colored and slender. It has a characteristic bright cobalt blue tail, with a greenish hue on the rest of its body. Its face has a narrow blue patch with a black eye stripe, and a predominantly brown throat.
The majority of blue-tailed bee eaters are migrators, but small populations live as residents in the south-eastern coastal belt. They live in the area extending from Bundala to Pottuvil on the eastern coast. During the migratory season, they can be found on every corner of the island.
Here we are going to share some of the interesting facts about the fascinating world of Sri Lankan bee eaters.
They are skilled hunters.
Bee eaters often stay perched on barb wires or dry twigs. They are waiting to spot the prey and catch their prey with acrobatic skills. Bee eaters become fast and fierce as a missile when they spot the target. Its slender physique gives the ability to twist and turn abruptly for hunting. Bee eater’s bill is slightly downcurved and sharply pointed to secure their meal. Their action-packed spectacular aerial strikes give a good opportunity for wildlife photographers.
They detoxify insects before eating.
Before eating bees, they detoxify wasps or bees. Once it snatches its prey, it returns to its perch. Then they remove the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. After that, they toss the insect high up and gulp them down. Unbelievably, this petite bird can eat around 250 bees a day.
They live as large groups.
Being social creatures, they often appear as groups. They lined on twigs, and branches where they can readily observe the flying insects. The sight of bee eaters sticking together is quite interesting sight to witness. When nesting as a colony, they benefit from the team spirit of the birds. Moreover, it gives protection from hungry predators.
The pairs are deeply committed to each other.
Bee-eaters have a complex social system of any birds. Many species display monogamous behavior. The pairs are deeply committed to each other and stay together for multiple years. During the courtship, the male catches the prey and feeds his lady. This extraordinary behavior called courtship feeding is a unique characteristic among most species of bee eaters.
They don’t build nests.
They do not build a nest on treetops. Instead, they prefer to build their nests on burrows. They choose relatively hard soil embankments to build burrows. The overall process of excavating the burrow is a tedious process that can last for several days.
The length of these tunnels varies from 70 to 150 cm. The eggs are laid on the ground and both male and female birds take it in turn to incubate the eggs. Once the chicks hatch out, the parents feed their young.
They like sand bathing.
It’s common for bee eater flocks to sand bath almost any day of the year. This is an important activity among bee eaters, where the birds seem to enjoy the feel of dust on their feathers. It is an attempt to get rid of parasites on their body.
They are quite noisy.
Since bee eaters live communally, you’ll spot hundreds of them closer to their roosting grounds. They are quite vocal birds and communicate by chirping loudly at each other. This endless chirping of bee eaters can be noisy at times.
Do you like to witness these delightfully striking bee eaters in Sri Lanka? One of the best locations to see them is Yala National Park. It’s easy to find the bee eaters perched on an old tree waiting for their prey. As well, you can find them in every national park in Sri Lanka including Wilpattu, Udawalawe, Minneriya, and many more. Definitely, their dazzling sight will truly be a memorable experience for bird lovers.
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay, and Twitter. All copyrights are reserved by original authors.
