The European Bee-eater is a colorful and graceful bird, known for its beautiful plumage. It has a golden-brown back, turquoise belly, yellow throat, and a black eye stripe that highlights its bright red eyes. This slender bird has a long, curved beak perfectly adapted to its insect-rich diet.
The European Bee-eater is found in Southern Europe, North Africa, and parts of Western and Central Asia. It migrates in the winter to tropical Africa, where it spends the colder months. This bird prefers open landscapes such as savannas, grasslands, and areas near rivers with steep sandy banks where it digs its nesting burrows.
As the name suggests, the European Bee-eater primarily feeds on insects, with a preference for bees, wasps, and dragonflies. It catches its prey in the air during quick, acrobatic flights. Before eating a bee or wasp, it will strike it against a hard surface to remove the stinger.
The European Bee-eater is a social bird that often lives in large colonies. They nest in self-dug tunnels in sandy banks, with each pair creating a nesting chamber at the end of the tunnel. They are monogamous and work together to raise their young. During the breeding season, they often produce their characteristic, melodious calls. European Bee-eaters play an important role in the ecosystem by helping to regulate insect populations.
                                
 
                                Ronald Pol (1977) is a nature photographer from Deventer, the Netherlands. It was during a trip to Africa that his passion for nature photography started. The main focus is on the photography of animals (portraits and behaviour), but a variety of other subjects are photographed as well... Read more…
 
                         Water drops on the tendril of a Passion FlowerRonald Pol
Water drops on the tendril of a Passion FlowerRonald Pol Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas)Ronald Pol
Red-Eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas)Ronald Pol Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)Ronald Pol
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)Ronald Pol Dwarf Beardless Iris against a white backgroundRonald Pol
Dwarf Beardless Iris against a white backgroundRonald Pol Dwarf Beardless Iris against a white backgroundRonald Pol
Dwarf Beardless Iris against a white backgroundRonald Pol Pink Calla lily against white backgroundRonald Pol
Pink Calla lily against white backgroundRonald Pol Fog above the river IJsselRonald Pol
Fog above the river IJsselRonald Pol Common Raven (Corvus corax)Ronald Pol
Common Raven (Corvus corax)Ronald Pol Feathers of a Green PeafowlRonald Pol
Feathers of a Green PeafowlRonald Pol View on Deventer just before sunriseRonald Pol
View on Deventer just before sunriseRonald Pol Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa)Ronald Pol
Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa)Ronald Pol Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)Ronald Pol
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)Ronald Pol Eurasian Harvest Mouse (Micromys minutus)Ronald Pol
Eurasian Harvest Mouse (Micromys minutus)Ronald Pol Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)Ronald Pol
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)Ronald Pol European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)Ronald Pol
European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)Ronald Pol European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)Ronald Pol
European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)Ronald Pol Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)Ronald Pol
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)Ronald Pol European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)Ronald Pol
European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)Ronald Pol Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)Ronald Pol
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)Ronald Pol Eurasian Harvest Mouse (Micromys minutus)Ronald Pol
Eurasian Harvest Mouse (Micromys minutus)Ronald Pol