Blue cheeked bee eater (Merops persicus) complete detail

Blue cheeked bee eater (Merops persicus) complete detail – updated. Description of Blue cheeked bee eater (Merops persicus) – Bada patringa. Classification of Blue cheeked bee eater (Merops persicus). Habit and habitat of Blue cheeked bee eater (Merops persicus). The blue-cheeked bee-eater, generally found in forest, Savannah, grassland, wetland, desert, coastal and artificial habitats.

Blue-cheeked Bee-Eater has bright green plumage and rufous-chestnut throat, with yellow only on chin. Female are like male but its tail feathers are average shorter. Narrower black face mask bordered above and below by pale bands frequently whitish-looking than bluish, gives it distinctive facial expression, even at a distance when colors are hard to see. Blue-cheeked Bee-Eater’s call is a rapid, rippling trill priip or driip frequently repeated. Its call is slightly higher-pitched, but ending is slightly lower-pitched………….

In flight from below, look quite dark-throated, and under-wings are much paler and obviously coppery overall with narrower, less obvious dark trailing edge. Bee eaters are insectivores, eating mainly flying insects. Bee eaters are common prey, as the name implies, but the blue-cheeked bee-eater also preys on wasps, hornets, dragonflies, beetles, cicadas, locusts and other insects. They can eat dangerous insects such as bees, wasps and hornets which are rendered harmless before being eaten, the tail of the insects is rubbed against the perch to express the venom and often the sting itself……………

The nesting-chamber is at the end of the burrow. Generally female lays 4 to 8 white eggs and both parents take turns to care for their brood. In some areas, blue-cheeked bee-eaters can be found nesting in mixed colonies, living relatively peacefully alongside the European bee-eater.

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Description

Local name of Blue cheeked bee eater is Bada patringa. Size of Blue cheeked bee eater is between 26 cm to 35 cm including the tail and Wingspan is between 46 cm to 49 cm. The Weight of adult is between 35 g. to 55 g. Blue cheeked bee-eaters, is a richly-colored, slender bird. It is predominantly green, its face has blue sides with a black eye stripe.

Blue-cheeked Bee-Eater has bright green plumage and rufous-chestnut throat, with yellow only on chin. Elongated central tail feathers of adult are longer, finer black bill, giving it a longer, more streamlined look than European. Adult winter is slightly duller overall. Juvenile is markedly duller and lacks elongated central tail feathers.

Female are like male but its tail feathers are average shorter. Narrower black face mask bordered above and below by pale bands frequently whitish-looking than bluish, gives it distinctive facial expression, even at a distance when colors are hard to see. In flight from below, look quite dark-throated, and under-wings are much paler and obviously coppery overall with narrower, less obvious dark trailing edge.

Classification

Common Name – Blue cheeked bee eater 

Local Name – Bada patringa

Zoological Name – Merops persicus

Kingdom – Animalia

Phylum – Chordata

Class – Aves

Order – Coraciiformes

Family – Meropidae

Genus – Merops

Conservational Status – Schedule – IV, according to wildlife (Protection) act, 1972 and classified as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Distribution

The blue-cheeked bee-eater, extends across parts of India, northern Africa and southern Asia, from Morocco to eastern Kazakhstan. It migrates to southern Africa in the winter, when it can be found from Senegal south to Nigeria in the west and from Sudan south to South Africa in the east.

Habit and habitat

The blue-cheeked bee-eater, generally found in forest, Savannah, grassland, wetland, desert, coastal and artificial habitats. They lives in open cultivation, with some trees and bushes, or dry uncultivated country with scattered bushes. Blue-cheeked Bee-Eater breeds mainly in sand deserts near water fringed with bushes and acacia or tamaracks. Blue-cheeked bee-eaters almost always found in close association with water in form of rivers, irrigation canals, lakes or marshes. It winters in open woodland and grassland.

Blue-cheeked Bee-Eater pursues preys by flying rapidly from perch. It performs rapid wing beats, glides and abrupt twists. It has an agile flight. Bee eaters are insectivores, eating mainly flying insects. Bee eaters are common prey, as the name implies, but the blue-cheeked bee-eater also preys on wasps, hornets, dragonflies, beetles, cicadas, locusts and other insects. They can eat dangerous insects such as bees, wasps and hornets which are rendered harmless before being eaten, the tail of the insects is rubbed against the perch to express the venom and often the sting itself.

Blue-cheeked Bee-Eater’s call is a rapid, rippling trill priip or driip frequently repeated. Its call is slightly higher-pitched, but ending is slightly lower-pitched. Blue-cheeked Bee-Eater breeds in sub-tropical semi-desert with a few trees, such as acacia. It winters in open woodland or grassland.

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Blue-cheeked Bee-Eater nests solitary or in loose colonies in sandy banks, on canal or ditch, low cliff and sandy mud plain. They make a burrow 2 to 4 meters long, depending of softness of soil, nearly straight. The nesting-chamber is at the end of the burrow.

Generally female lays 4 to 8 white eggs and both parents take turns to care for their brood. In some areas, blue-cheeked bee-eaters can be found nesting in mixed colonies, living relatively peacefully alongside the European bee-eater. Incubation lasts 22 to 27 days.