Bee-Eater - Colourful Acrobats
Closely related to Kingfishers and Rollers - and certainly just as colourful - Bee-eaters are skilled and specialised predators of bees and other winged insects. Their prey is taken in mid air, usually after some accomplished acrobatics, and often brought to a perch to be immobilised and swallowed. Watching these bold and energetic birds is hugely entertaining and because many species are quite relaxed in the presence of man, photographic opportunities come readily. For these reasons, Bee-eaters are among the most admired of birds.
Of the 25 recognised species, 18 occur in Africa. Asia has five species of Bee-eater, and Australia just one. Most favour open savannah or forest-fringe habitats, often in proximity to rivers, where insects are abundant and breeding sites plentiful.
Most of the larger Bee-eaters - such as the Carmine and Blue-cheeked - are gregarious and breed in large colonies. They fly in flocks, often travelling some distance to feed in productive foraging areas, and most are of migratory habit. The smaller species - such as the Little and Swallow-tailed - live in pairs or small family groups, and are typically sedentary.
All Bee-eaters breed in burrows which they excavate in sandbanks or alluvial flats. The sexes are alike in plumage and both male and female take care of the developing young. In some species, co-operative breeding is typical, with the previous year's offspring assisting in the rearing of their parents new brood.
Bee-eaters are slender, long-winged birds, with long tails often punctuated by extended streamers. The beak is long and down-curved, the feet small and rather weak. An interesting feature of most species, is the black facial "mask" which runs from the bill, through the eyes. The significance of this black line is unclear but it may serve to reduce glare, when the Bee-eaters are scanning the sky for insect prey.
Southern Carmine Bee-eater
Dressed in carmine-pink, with turquoise cap and vent, this is one of Africa's most striking birds. Colonies of up to a thousand breed in embankments along the Zambezi River and its tributaries, then disperse south or north. In addition to bees, grasshoppers and dragonflies are among the favoured prey items. In northern Botswana, the Southern Carmine Bee-eater has been seen to ride on the back of Kori Bustards which inadvertently flush insect prey. Flocks are attracted to bush fires, where fleeing insects are snapped up in the smoke.
European Bee-eater
Breeding in the warmer parts of southern Europe and the Middle-East, this species migrates south to Africa during the northern hemisphere winter. Large flocks occur in savannah and open grassland, quite often in agricultural lands that closely resemble their breeding grounds. Individuals are often seen - spaced at regular intervals - on overhead wires. Although bees predominate in the diet, winged termites are irresistible treats. A number of small breeding colonies have established themselves in the south-western Cape and Karoo in recent years.
White-Fronted Bee-eater
Widely distributed south of the equator, the White-fronted Bee-eater exemplifies the principle of co-operative breeding. Colonies comprise family groups, known as "clans" where relatives work together to raise the brood. Each clan ventures out to a favoured foraging area each day, then returns to the bigger colony which acts as a kind of information centre. Steep embankments are favoured as breeding sites, but these are vulnerable to erosion during flash floods, and an entire colony can be washed away overnight.
Little Bee-eater
This, the smallest member of the family, occurs in open woodland and forest edge, very often in proximity to water. Pairs and small groups excavate their breedingburrows in sand gullies, termite mounds and sometimes on road verges. The Little Bee-eater characteristically perches low down - often just centimetres from the ground - and sallies upwards to capture butterflies, wasps and other insects. At night and in cool weather, groups huddle together for warmth - as many as ten abreast on a single stem.
Where to see bee-eaters at andBEYOND lodges
A variety of Bee-eaters can be seen at all andBEYOND lodges. No fewer than seven species have been recorded at Matetsi, on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. The Cinnamon-chested Bee-Eater is common on the forested rim of the Ngorongoro Crater and also in the forest surrounding Kichwa Tembo. The striking White-throated Bee-eater is a seasonal visitor to the Klein's Camp regions of the Masai Mara and Serengeti respectively, while the Northern Carmine Bee-eater (its entire head is turquoise) has been recorded as a vagrant at Maji Moto. Swallow-Tailed Bee-eaters are also common in the Okavango Delta at Nxabega and Sandibe.
Posted: Birds by CC Africa, Date: 21 November 2006
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