Skip to main content
Today is World Rainforest Day!
Close

Rainbow Bee-eater

Merops ornatus

Photo by triggsturner
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

-12.4533, 130.886

Field Notes

Description:

A beautiful bird, essentially shades of green and blue, a yellow throat patch with a dark stripe above the breast. black eye-stripe with a thin line of blue below that. The eye is bright red and in flight the under-wings are a rusty buff. This species also has two fine long tail filaments.

Habitat:

These two were spotted in eucalypt forest just inland from mangrove forest on the outskirts of Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Notes:

This is the only species of Meropidae found in Australia. I photographed them late in the day and was lucky to get this close to these often restless birds while they were still feeding.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (15)
remkinloch
A very belated congratulations on your SOTD. A stunning little bird, hard to believe the colours!
triggsturner
Thank you Antonio for your comment. Also thank you Amanda. Its brilliant that your class can enjoy and appreciate the beautiful creatures and plants here on PN. If it makes just one of them sit up and take notice of this world around us and how to protect it, then that's got to be a good thing :)
triggsturner
Thank you Daniele for the sotd. Very honoured and much appreciated.
Amanda43
Beautiful. My class loved looking at it and learning about Project Noah.
AntónioGinjaGinja
Just beautiful Robert,congrats on the well deserved SOTD and thanks for sharing
DanielePralong
These are stunning in the late afternoon light Robert! Congratulation, your Rainbow Bee-eaters are featured as Spotting of the Day: "Brilliantly colored! This aptly named Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is our Spotting of the Day. The Rainbow Bee-eater is widely distributed throughout mainland Australia, as well as from eastern Indonesia through to Papua New Guinea, in the Bismarck Archipelago and, rarely, in the Solomon Islands. It is the only species of bee-eater (family Meropidae) found in Australia. Rainbow Bee-eaters are migratory birds that nest by burrowing long tunnels into river beds. They are mostly insectivorous, catching flying insects (bees and others) on the wing. Spotted in the Northern Territory, Australia, by triggsturner. Check out the spotting to discover the bee-eater's tail streamers". Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/photos/pb.10150120463815603.-2207520000.1540245029./10161057587730603/?type=3&theater Twitter: https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/1054489717948010497
triggsturner
Thank you Jim and Zlatan for your comments. Yes Jim, Australia is an amazing place to watch and photograph wildlife. I dont think I have ever been and not seen something incredible.
Jim Nelson
Nice spotting, Rob. That Australia trip was a windfall of spottings...I envy you!
Brian38
Wow! Great series Robert!

Spotted for Missions

Mission
WILD Cities: Urban Biodiversity
Mission
Birds of the World
Mission
Mission WILD
Mission
Birds of Australia
Mission
2018 Best Wildlife Photo

Tags

Photographed
PublishedOctober 21, 2018

Community Sponsor

Butterfly
Become a Community Sponsor and Help Grow our Global Movement!

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Butterflies icon
Become a Community Sponsor

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon

Nature & Conservation Organizations

Brands & Mission-Focused Companies