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Bee eater

Merops apiaster

Photo by Dangermouse
Published on Project Noah
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37.1258, -7.64984

Field Notes

Description:

Very distinctive call between May and August. Colourful plumage - adults have chestnut crown and nape, grading to yellow on the back and rump. Uppertail is green and underparts are blue except for black-bordered yellow throat.

Habitat:

Nests in sand banks or mounds of earth, or soft hill sides. Hunts over agricultural land, marshes and rivers.

Notes:

Blurry photos, but these guys don't stay still long enough to photograph! I did take one photo that was just dots in the sky - at least 20 bee eaters flocking together! But this is one of my dream spottings - now I need to work on getting a better photo!

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (4)
Dangermouse
Sorry, guys, but the bee eaters have now migrated for the winter. :( Will have to wait for next year to get that shot I'm looking for....
Atul
all the best pal waiting for your update
Dangermouse
I know what you mean. This is the first year I've noticed so many of them! But by the end of this month at the latest, they'll be gone, so my mission over the next couple of weeks is a decent photo! Guess I'm going to be bird watching this weekend. :D
NicoleB
Every time they come around during migration and I first hear their call I wonder what it is and then there's my happy smile on my face when I realize that they are back :-)

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Birds of the World
Mission
Birds of Iberia
Mission
Portugal's Biodiversity
Photographed
PublishedAugust 8, 2011

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