Green Bee-Eater | The green bee-eater (also known as the little green bee-eater) is a small species of bee-eater bird found throughout parts of Africa and Asia. The green bee-eater is one of 26 species of bee-eater, a group of birds
that a primarily found throughout Africa and in parts of Asia and the
Middle East. The green bee-eater is found on grasslands and in open
forests on both the African and Asian continents, and is widely
distributed across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Gambia to
Ethiopia, the Nile valley, western Arabia and Asia, from India to
Vietnam. In Asia, the green bee-eater is usually seen on the lowland plains but these colourful litter birds can sometimes be found up to 6000 feet in the Himalayas.
The green bee-eater is a small sized bird, rarely growing to more than 18cm in length. The green bee-eater is an easily distinguishable bird due to it's bright green plumage and attractive long tail-feathers. The green bee-eater also has a long, but sharp and narrow black beak
which is perfectly designed for catching flying insects. The green
bee-eater is known to be a slow starter in the mornings and may be found
huddled next to one another with their bills tucked in their backs well
after sunrise. The green bee-eater is also known to sand-bathe more
frequently than other bee-eater species and will sometimes bathe in
water by dipping into water in flight. Green bee-eaters are usually seen
in small groups and often roost communally in large numbers of up to
300 birds.
Like other bee-eater species,
the green bee-eater primarily feeds on insects. More than 80% of the
green bee-eater's diet is comprised of honeybees and the rest is mainly
made up of other bee species along with numerous species of flying
insect. The green bee-eater is an omnivorous animal and will also eat
fruits and berries along with ground-dwelling insects when it needs to
supplement it's diet. Due to the small size and colourful appearance of
the green bee-eater it is a target for numerous predators across it's
natural range. Larger birds of prey are the primary predators of the
green bee-eater along with smaller mammals and reptiles that prey on
both the birds and their eggs. Green bee-eaters nest between May
and June in tunnels dug into the sandy banks. Females lay an average of 5
small, glossy, white eggs which are incubated for two weeks by both the
breeding pair and others that have come to help. The green bee-eater
chicks are cared for by their parents until they fledge (leave the nest)
before they reach a month old.
Today, the green bee-eater is classified as a species that is in least danger of immediate extinction in
the wild. However, the decline in both their native habitat and bee
population numbers around the world, could have devastating consequences
for this plucky little bird.
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