Bee-eater
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2008-07-13T08:09:06Z
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{{Taxobox
| name = Bee-eaters
| image = bee eater.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = [[White-fronted Bee-eater]], (''Merops bullockoides'')
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[bird|Aves]]
| ordo = [[Coraciiformes]]
| familia = '''Meropidae'''
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
*''[[Nyctyornis]]''
*''[[Purple-bearded Bee-eater|Meropogon]]''
*''[[merops (genus)|Merops]]''
}}
The '''bee-eaters''' are a group of [[near passerine]] [[bird]]s in the [[family (biology)|family]] Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa but others occur in southern Europe, Australia and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colorful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.
==Description==
As the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat flying [[insect]]s, especially [[bee]]s and [[wasp]]s, which are caught in the air by sallies from an open perch<ref name=EoB>{{cite book |editor=Forshaw, Joseph|author= Forshaw, J. & Kemp, A.|year=1991|title=Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds|publisher= Merehurst Press|location=London|pages= 144-145|isbn= 1-85391-186-0}}</ref>. While they will pursue any type of flying insect, [[honey bee]]s predominate in their diet. Fry et al. say "in 20 separate studies of the diet of 16 kinds of bee-eaters, [[Hymenoptera]] (ants, bees and wasps) comprised from 20% to 96% of all insects eaten, and honey bees formed on average about one-third of the Hymenoptera"<ref>'''Fry, Fry''' and '''Harris''', ''Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers'' (1992) ISBN 0-7136-1410-8</ref>.
Before eating its meal, a bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. During this process, pressure is applied to the insect thereby extracting most of the venom<ref name=EoB/>. Notably, the birds only catch prey that are on the wing and will ignore flying insects once they land.
Bee-eaters are gregarious. They form colonies by nesting in burrows tunnelled into the side of sandy banks, such as those which have collapsed on the edges of rivers. Their eggs are white and they generally produce 2-9 eggs per clutch (depending on species), which are widely distributed and common. As they live in colonies, large numbers of these holes are often seen together, white streaks from their accumulated droppings accentuating the entrances to the nests. Most of the species in the family are monogamous, and both parents care of the young, sometimes with the assistance of other birds in the colony<ref name=EoB/>.
==Species list in taxonomic order==
The bee-eater family consists of two subfamilies - the bearded bee-eaters '''Nyctyornithinae''', and '''Meropinae''', the typical bee-eaters{{fact|date=July 2008}}.
'''FAMILY: MEROPIDAE'''
* '''Genus: ''[[Nyctyornis]]'''''
** [[Red-bearded Bee-eater]], ''Nyctyornis amictus''
** [[Blue-bearded Bee-eater]], ''Nyctyornis athertoni''
* '''Genus: ''Meropogon'''''
** [[Purple-bearded Bee-eater]], ''Meropogon forsteni''
* '''Genus: ''[[Merops]]'''''
** [[Little Bee-eater]], ''Merops pusillus''
** [[Blue-cheeked Bee-eater]], ''Merops persicus''
** [[Little Green Bee-eater]], ''Merops orientalis''
** [[White-throated Bee-eater]], ''Merops albicollis''
** [[Swallow-tailed Bee-eater]], ''Merops hirundinaeus''
** [[Blue-tailed Bee-eater]], ''Merops philippinus''
** [[Black Bee-eater]], ''Merops gularis''
** [[Blue-headed Bee-eater]], ''Merops muelleri''
** [[Red-throated Bee-eater]], ''Merops bulocki''
** [[White-fronted Bee-eater]], ''Merops bullockoides''
** [[Blue-breasted Bee-eater]], ''Merops variegatus''
** [[Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater]], ''Merops oreobates''
** [[Black-headed Bee-eater]], ''Merops breweri''
** [[Somali Bee-eater]], ''Merops revoilii''
** [[Boehm's Bee-eater]], ''Merops boehmi''
** [[Blue-throated Bee-eater]], ''Merops viridis''
** [[Madagascar Bee-eater]], ''Merops superciliosus''
** [[Rainbow Bee-eater]], ''Merops ornatus''
** [[European Bee-eater]], ''Merops apiaster''
** [[Chestnut-headed Bee-eater]], ''Merops leschenaulti''
** [[Rosy Bee-eater]], ''Merops malimbicus''
** [[Northern Carmine Bee-eater]], ''Merops nubicus''
** [[Southern Carmine Bee-eater]], ''Merops nubicoides''
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/Sampler2a-Bee-eaters.htm Camacdonald Gallery of each species]
* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=91 Bee-eater videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
* [http://montereybay.com/creagrus/bee-eaters.html Meropidae, Bird families of the World]
[[Category:Meropidae|*]]
[[Category:Bird families]]
[[af:Byvreter]]
[[an:Meropidae]]
[[ca:Meropidae]]
[[da:Biædere]]
[[de:Bienenfresser (Familie)]]
[[el:Μελισσοφάγος]]
[[es:Meropidae]]
[[eo:Meropedoj]]
[[fa:زنبورخوار]]
[[fr:Meropidae]]
[[it:Meropidae]]
[[sw:Keremkerem]]
[[la:Meropidae]]
[[lt:Bitininkiniai]]
[[hu:Gyurgyalagfélék]]
[[nl:Bijeneters]]
[[ja:ハチクイ科 (Sibley)]]
[[pl:Żołny]]
[[pt:Abelharuco]]
[[ru:Щурковые]]
[[sl:Legati]]
[[tr:Arı kuşugiller]]
[[uk:Бджолоїдкові]]
[[zh:蜂虎科]]