The family Meropidae (bee-eaters), most species being colonial, often will exhibit interspecific and intraspecific communication. Like most colonial species, European bee-eaters are very vocal while within the colony. Pairs often call to locate or otherwise communicate to each other. European bee-eaters have a limited repertoire, which consists of several, slight variations on a "preep" call. This call is given in rapid succession while in social groups, and takes on a "bubbly" characteristic during courtship.
European bee-eaters have been found to exhibit intraspecific “helping”. A nesting pair may accept a third party to help with incubating or feeding to increase nesting success. This social communication may be between related individuals and help fitness.
Mixed flocks of European bee-eaters and blue cheeked bee-eaters (Merops persicus) have been found to have better breeding success as a result of mixed species foraging offsetting interspecific competition. Interspecific communication has also been found to be defensive during nesting, involving fighting and avoidance, whereas intraspecific communication included sunning, preening, and mobbing of predators. The benefit of being a social communal species is having more eyes on the lookout for danger; European bee-eaters will use vocal communication to warn others about danger.
Like all birds, European bee-eaters perceive their environment through visual, auditory, tactile and chemical stimuli.
Communication Channels: acoustic
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
European bee-eaters are listed as a species of least concern by IUCN. Although their numbers have been declining over the past decade, the population (480,000 to 1,000,000 breeding individuals) is still well above any level of threat.
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
European bee-eaters are seen as a pest by many farmers in central and southern Europe. These birds are attracted to high densities of cultivated bees, and are frequently persecuted by farmers. European bee-eaters may cause significant damage to a hive if they prey upon the queen.
Negative Impacts: crop pest
European bee-eaters have not been recorded as a species that benefits humans in an economic manner. They are unique and beautiful birds that attract many birders and photographers.
European bee-eaters are known as ecosystem engineers because of their effects on arid environments through burrowing breeding behavior. Three ways have been suggested regarding how European bee-eaters impact the environment: (i) burrowing and soil removal allows rain, sunlight, and nutrients to penetrate soil. (ii) abandoned burrows provide shelter for other species to colonize the area (iii) deep burrows provide access to invertebrate prey items which can increase food web complexity.
The microclimate that is created by these burrows can be significantly different from the macroclimate. Some species that re-use burrows made by European bee-eaters include European rollers (Coracias garrulus), little owls (Athene noctua), pied wagtails (Motacilla alba), and rock sparrows (Petronia petronia).
Analysis of active European bee-eaters' nests detected several species of mites (chicken mites, tropical fowl mites) and larvae of Diptera, beetles (Tenebrionidae family), and moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera order).
Ecosystem Impact: creates habitat; soil aeration
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
As their name implies, European bee-eaters' diet consists of bees ranging in size from large to small (Hymenoptera), but also includes dragonflies (Ondonata) and other flying insects. Bee-eaters are quick on the wing and agile for catching flying insects. When catching insects they will grasp them by the midsection, fly back to perch, and hit them against their perch until movement ceases. When catching stinging insects they will immobilize them and hit the sting against the perch to pull or rip it out, and then toss the prey up vertically to swallow. Breeding pairs of European bee-eaters continue to feed their fledglings until the young birds learn to successfully catch and eat insects.
Animal Foods: insects
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )
European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) have a broad distribution covering much of Europe and Africa with range estimates up to 11,000,000 square km. These migratory birds can be found as far north as Finland and range as far south as South Africa, extending east into some Asiatic countries as well. Most commonly, European bee-eaters will breed and nest in southern Europe, then migrate south during autumn and winter.
Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Native ); ethiopian (Native )
European bee-eaters are commonly found near freshwater systems and inhabit a variety of habitat types such as forest, savanna, shrubland, grassland, and agricultural areas. The habitat for nesting can be specific involving only river systems or gravel pits with steep exposed banks. European bee-eaters have also been found to dig burrows directly into the ground. Food availability can determine the habitat occupied by European bee-eaters. Many agricultural fields use bee-hives for pollination and M. apiaster will frequent those areas.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; forest ; scrub forest
Other Habitat Features: agricultural ; riparian
European bee-eaters have been documented to live up to 5.9 years in the wild.
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 5.9 (high) years.
European bee-eaters are mid-sized insectivores that have dark, thick, and slightly downward curved bills. A bright yellow chin and throat patch meet a blue chest that extends down to the flanks and belly. Dark lores and eye-stripe are contrasted by a white patch above the upper mandible and lower white eye-stripe extending from the lower mandible. A dark chestnut color covers the crown and nape, becoming lighter in color on the back. Upper tail coverts are variable, ranging from green to blue, with most of the tail being blue. Wing lengths average 44 cm for males and 49 cm for females. Weights of European bee-eaters are similar in males and females and range from 44 to 78 g. Total body length ranges from 27 to 30 cm.
Males and females, very similar in coloration, can be distinguished by the hue of the greater coverts, being a chestnut in males and greenish-blue in females, and by the median coverts, where males are a chestnut and females have a greenish hue. Juveniles can be distinguished from adults by the color of the iris. In mature adults the iris is a vibrant red and juveniles will have a grayish-olive-red color. Also, the chestnut color found in adults is only green in juveniles.
Range mass: 44 to 78 g.
Average mass: 52 g.
Range length: 27 to 30 cm.
Average length: 28 cm.
Range wingspan: 44 to 49 cm.
Average wingspan: 46 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Montpellier snakes (Malpolon monspessulanus), ocellated lizards (Timon lepidus), and black kites (Milvus migrans) are common predators of European bee-eaters. Nestlings are most vulnerable because ground burrows are easily accessed by snakes and lizards.
Known Predators:
European bee-eaters are monogamous and will generally stay together from year to year if both survive. Courtship feeding has been observed of some male European bee-eaters, where the male will bring food to the female a couple days before, during, and after egg laying. Roughly 20% of nesting pairs have 1 to 4 helpers that exhibit cooperative breeding, where a non-breeding male, likely a close relative, will assist the nesting pair by sitting on the nest and catching prey for young.
Mating System: monogamous ; cooperative breeder
In central Europe, most European bee-eaters return to their breeding range in late April or early May. They will mate in May and dig out burrows around 1 m deep in sand pits or steep river banks. Females lay 4 to 7 eggs in late May to early June. They are laid in 2 day intervals and incubated 3 to 4 weeks before hatching asynchronously. Before young fledge asynchronously at around 4 weeks of age they undergo weight loss to reduce their weight closer to that of an adult. Asynchronous Hatching and fledging is thought to help offset sibling rivalry and allow better care of young with a variable food source like flying insects. Juveniles become independent at 1 to 2 months of age. Sexual maturity is reached within the first year, though juveniles are not always successful at breeding in their first year. Juveniles may come back to the same colonies and nest near relatives such as parents or siblings. These juveniles may become family helpers if they fail to nest.
They are either solitary or colonial nesters. One study found a negative effect on nest success with increasing colony size. Isolated pairs with equal clutch size had a higher rate of nesting success. It is thought that colonial breeding could still be worthwhile if it increases adult survival.
Breeding interval: European bee-eaters breed once yearly.
Breeding season: European bee-eaters breed between May and June.
Range eggs per season: 4 to 7.
Average eggs per season: 5.
Range time to hatching: 3 to 4 weeks.
Range fledging age: 28 to 32 days.
Range time to independence: 1 to 2 months.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
Both male and female European bee-eaters participate in excavating the underground nesting burrow. After the eggs are laid, the pair shares incubation responsibilities. Chicks are born altricial, without feathers and eyes closed, and rely on significant parental care for survival. The male "helper" will also share incubation and feeding duties, but is not as reliable as the breeding pair. Both parents provide food and protection for young until fledging. Some male European bee-eaters will continue to feed the female for several days during and after egg laying.
European bee-eaters exhibit very specific feeding behaviors that are difficult for young birds to learn. Breeding pairs will continue to feed fledglings until the young learn the skills to successfully forage for themselves.
Parental Investment: altricial ; male parental care ; female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); post-independence association with parents; extended period of juvenile learning
Migrant breeder and regular passage visitor.
The European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia. Except for the resident southern African population, the species is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa. This species occurs as a spring overshoot north of its usual range, with occasional breeding in northern Europe.
The European bee-eater was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under its current binomial name Merops apiaster.[2] The genus name Merops is Ancient Greek for "bee-eater", and apiaster is Latin, also meaning "bee-eater", from apis, "bee".[3]
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It has brown and yellow upper parts, whilst the wings are green and the beak is black. It can reach a length of 27–29 cm (10.6–11.4 in), including the two elongated central tail feathers. Sexes are alike. Female tends to have greener rather than gold feathers on shoulders. Non-breeding plumage is much duller and with a blue-green back and no elongated central tail feathers. Juvenile resembles a non-breeding adult, but with less variation in the feather colours. Adults begin to moult in June or July and complete the process by August or September. There is a further moult into breeding plumage in winter in Africa.[4]
These bee-eaters are gregarious—nesting colonially in sandy banks, preferably near river shores, usually at the beginning of May. They make a relatively long tunnel, in which they lay five to eight spherical white eggs around the beginning of June. Both male and female care for the eggs, which they brood for about three weeks. They also feed and roost communally.
During courtship, the male feeds large items to the female while eating the small ones himself.[5] Most males are monogamous, but occasional bigamy has been encountered.[5] Their typical call is a distinctive, mellow, liquid and burry prreee or prruup.
This bird breeds in open country in warmer climates. As the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps, and hornets. They catch insects in flight, in sorties from an open perch. Before eating a bee, the European bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. It can eat around 250 bees a day.
The most important prey item in their diet is Hymenoptera, mostly the European honey bee. A study in Spain found that these comprise 69.4% to 82% of the European bee-eaters' diet.[6] Their impact on bee populations, however, is small. They eat less than 1% of the worker bees in areas where they live.[7]
A study found that European bee-eaters "convert food to body weight more efficiently if they are fed a mixture of bees and dragonflies than if they eat only bees or only dragonflies."[8]
Feeding bee-eater—the female (in front) waits for the male's offering
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Each with a dragonfly
If an apiary is set up close to a bee-eater colony, a larger number of honey bees are eaten because they are more abundant. However, studies show the bee-eaters do not intentionally fly into the apiary, rather they feed on the insects caught on pastures and meadows within a radius of 12 km (7.5 mi) from the colony, this maximum distance being reached only when there is a lack of food. Observations show that the birds actually enter the apiary only in cold and rainy periods, when the bees do not leave the hive and other insect prey are harder for the bee-eaters to detect.[9]
Many bee-keepers believe that the bee-eaters are the main obstacle causing worker bees not to forage, and instead stay inside the hives for much of the day between May and the end of August. However, a study carried out in eucalyptus forest in the Alalous region, 80 km (50 mi) east of Tripoli Libya, showed that the bee-eaters were not the main obstacle of bee foraging, which is the opposite of what beekeepers think. The foraging rate was higher in presence of the birds than in their absence in some cases. The average bird meal consisted of 90.8% honey bees and 9.2% beetles.[10]
Predation is more likely when the bees are queening or during peak migrations, from late March till mid-April, and in mid-September. Hives close to or under trees or overhead cables are also at increased risk as the birds pounce on flying insects from these perches.[11]
Stamp of Moldova -European bee-eater
European bee-eater painted by John Gould, English ornithologist
A pair of Turkish bee-eaters
ID composite
Close-up video of a female European bee-eater
The European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia. Except for the resident southern African population, the species is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa. This species occurs as a spring overshoot north of its usual range, with occasional breeding in northern Europe.
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