Blue-throated bee-eater

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Blue-throated bee-eater
Blue-throated bee-eater (Merops viridis).jpg
Danum Valley, Borneo, Malaysia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Meropidae
Genus: Merops
Species:
M. viridis
Binomial name
Merops viridis
Blue-throated bee-eater range map.png
Year round distribution in red and breeding location in blue of blue-throated bee-eaters in Southeast Asia
Synonyms

Chestnut-headed bee-eater

Blue-throated Bee-eater from India Blue Throated Bee eater Kerala.jpg
Blue-throated Bee-eater from India

The blue-throated bee-eater (Merops viridis) is a species of bird in the bee-eater family. They are found throughout southeast Asia in subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. Their diet consists mostly of bees, wasps, and dragonflies. Blue-throated bee-eaters are small with colorful plumage consisting of a red nape, dark green wings, light green breast, and their signature blue throat. Juvenile plumage contain dark green head and wings and light green breasts, only developing their full plumage in adulthood. They have a rich variety of songs and calls, including longcalls which allow them to communicate long distances in the forest.

Contents

Blue-throated bee-eaters practice asynchronous brooding, which means that chicks hatch at different times, often pairing with siblicide. Older chicks are not only larger and able to withstand larger wounds from other siblings, but also have the ability to monopolize the food they are fed by parents. There has been several observations of migration between islands in southeast Asia or onto mainland of Asia. One notable seasonal spring migration occurs from Sumatra, across the Strait of Malacca, and ending on the west coast of Malaysia. They also migrate from southeast Asia to breeding grounds in western China during breeding season.

Conservation status of the blue-throated bee-eaters is of "least concern" due to their large distribution and stability of its population as of 2016. However, deforestation may be its biggest threat, destroying its habitat and decreasing other bird diversities.

Taxonomy

The blue-throated bee-eater was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the current binomial name Merops viridis. [2] [3] The type locality is the Indonesian island of Java. [3] The specific epithet viridis is Latin meaning "green". [4] The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. [5] The blue-throated bee-eater was formerly considered to be conspecific with the rufous-crowned bee-eater (Merops americanus). [5] An alternate common name is the chestnut-headed bee-eater. [6]

Description

Adult blue-throated bee-eaters grow to around 21 cm, with an additional 9 cm including tail streamers. [6] They weigh around 34 to 41 grams. [6] Adults have spectacular plumage with a red crown and nape, dark green wings, blue tail, light green breast, white belly, and the signature blue throat. Juveniles develop their full plumage later, with mostly green coloration all over their body. They have a dark green head and wings and light green breast. Both adults and juveniles have black eye patches. Eye color can range between red and brown, or a combination. [7]

Vocalizations

Blue-throated bee-eaters make a combination of vocalizations characterized as longcalls, alarm calls, chirps, low chirps, purrs, sharp coos, trills, and feeding calls. [7] Longcalls have been observed to communicate long distances and are recognizable by their volume and intensity. [7] A longcall is performed either during flight or on a perch by stretching and pointing their bill upwards, known as a “longcall” posture. [7] Chirps are short and sharp with regular intervals, often used during digs. [7]

Distribution and habitat

They have a wide distribution ranging from southeastern China to the Greater Sundas Islands. [8] The most concentrated distribution is found in Singapore, Malaysia, southern Cambodia, and southern Thailand. [6] Other locations with greater dispersal include Borneo and Java. [6] On 26 May 2013, this species was sighted by sasidharan manekkara and photographed from, the breeding colony of blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus)near , Kannur, Kerala South India. They live in lower elevations between 0–670 meters. [9] Their habitat includes a wide variety of flat plains, such as farmland, suburban gardens, riversides, dunes, and sandy clearings. [6] In the winter, some blue-throated bee-eaters move to forest canopies and saltwater channels of mangrove forests. [6] They often dig burrows horizontally into flat ground, allowing easier access compared to burrows in sand cliffs of other bee-eaters. [7] Colony sizes range from 50 to 200 pairs or living completely solitary in the open country. [7]

Behavior and ecology

Breeding

Courtship offering of an insect from male to female Blue-throated Bee-eater Courtship offering.jpg
Courtship offering of an insect from male to female

Blue-throated bee-eaters have a generation rate of around 6.2 years. [9] They practice asynchronous brooding, meaning parents begin brooding at different times. [10] This results in hatching of chicks at different times. The eggs hatch over a period of ten days with an average spread of 4.43 ±12.15 days. [10] The sequence and timing of the hatching of chicks is correlated with size, with the first-born chick having the greatest mass. [10] Parents lay two to seven eggs with a survival of zero to three chicks raised to fledging. [10] The chicks normally die in order, starting from youngest and smallest. [10] The observed death rate in chicks was largely caused by sibling attacks by utilizing a sharp hook on the upper bill, later lost in development, and inflicting wounds on the naked head of other chicks. [10] Those chicks who are older have time to grow more contour feathers, protecting them from damaging attacks. [10] Siblicide is common among other birds to increase the larger and older chick's survival with greater access to food by the parents. [10] Sibling attacks are more common among birds when food is scarce and monopolized. [11] In the blue-throated bee-eater's case, insects are delivered one by one to the chicks, making food easily monopolized to chicks with the greater advantage. [10] Increasing brood size did not increase the survival of the chicks. [10] Decreasing body mass is correlated with increasing wounds and scars found on the individual chicks, which increased the likelihood of death. [10]

Food and feeding

They predominantly feed on flying insects such as bees and wasps. [8] Other insects caught include flies, beetles, and other bugs up to 42mm. [6] A large percentage of the blue-throated bee eater's diet consists of dragonflies with highest success rate of their catches in sunny conditions. [7] Observations found no feeding activities during rain and right after showers. [7] Their feeding patterns are well-matched with the seasonal weather patterns. [7] The highest feeding rate is during breeding season, perfectly matching the sunniest period, right after the rainy season. [7]

Migration

Each spring, blue-throated bee-eaters (Merops viridis) along with blue-tailed bee-eaters (Merops philippinus) migrate from Sumatra, cross the Straits of Malacca, and end up on the west coast of Malaysia. [12] The observed flight locomotion from Tanjung Tuan, west coast of Malaysia, was a combination of flapping and gliding flight. [12] Occasionally, they would use the air currents from the sea-breeze to soar upwards. [12] Once reaching land, they would rest on the lighthouse and tree branches for up to ten minutes before continuing eastward. [12] This migration was observed from 2000 to 2001 with a total of 2,226 bee-eaters, with 1353 blue-tailed bee-eaters, 222 blue-throated bee-eaters, and the rest unidentified. [12] The most observed migrating bee-eaters occurred on 21 March 2000 between 1-2PM. [12] The high number observations of bee-eaters were most likely due to the strong thermals that formed over Sumatra, allowing them to soar over the sea-breeze with ease. [12] High numbers of bee-eaters were also observed to migrate when there were high westerly winds blowing towards Malaysia. [12] Blue-throated bee-eaters also migrate onto breeding grounds of western China during breeding season as shown in the range map above. [6]

Relationship to humans

Humans act as a threat to blue-throated bee-eater habitats. They have been characterized as "least concern" in terms of conservational status, which is determined by a combination of range distribution, population stability, habitat loss, and potential threats. [9] This was last assessed on October 1, 2016. [9] Humans have impacted avian richness in the hill dipterocarp tropical rainforests in Malaysia. [13] Logging and destruction of rainforests can impact not only individual bird species, but also the diversity of birds in the region. [13] Diversity of species can bounce back within thirty years post-logging and was observed to have higher species richness in terms of bird diversity and numbers compared to recently logged forests. [13]

Although uncommon, they are sometimes kept as pets and used for horticulture. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bee-eater</span> Widespread group of insectivorous bird species in the family Meropidae

The bee-eaters are a group of birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and thirty species. Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All have long down-turned bills and medium to long wings, which may be pointed or round. Male and female plumages are usually similar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European bee-eater</span> Species of bird of genus Merops

The European bee-eater 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-tailed bee-eater</span> Species of bird

The blue-tailed bee-eater is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia where many populations are strongly migratory, and seen seasonally in many parts but breeding colonially in small areas across their range, mostly in river valleys, where they nest by tunneling into loamy sand banks. They are seen mostly in open habitats close to water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asian green bee-eater</span> Species of bird

The Asian green bee-eater, also known as little green bee-eater, and green bee-eater in Sri Lanka, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family. It is resident but prone to seasonal movements and is found widely distributed across Asia from coastal southern Iran east through the Indian subcontinent to Vietnam. Populations in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that were formerly assigned to this species are now considered distinct species: the African green bee-eater and the Arabian green bee-eater. They are mainly insect eaters and they are found in grassland, thin scrub and forest often quite far from water. Several regional plumage variations are known and several subspecies have been named.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-headed bee-eater</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-headed bee-eater, or bay-headed bee-eater, is a bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds on the Indian subcontinent and adjoining regions, ranging from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka across Southeast Asia to Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olive bee-eater</span> Species of bird

The olive bee-eater or Madagascar bee-eater is a near passerine bee-eater species in the genus Merops. It is native to the southern half of Africa where it is present in Angola; Botswana; Burundi; Comoros; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Kenya; Madagascar; Malawi; Mayotte; Mozambique; Namibia; Rwanda; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe. It is a common species with a wide range so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated their conservation status as "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern carmine bee-eater</span> Species of bird

The northern carmine bee-eater is a brightly-coloured bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It is found across northern tropical Africa, from Senegal eastwards to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the southern carmine bee-eater which has a carmine coloured throat rather than the blue throat of the northern species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali bee-eater</span> Species of bird

The Somali bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Tanzania. This is a small bee-eater that prefers arid country and desert areas where it may be locally common. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern", postulating that clearing of woodland and forest is creating new suitable habitat for the bird and that its population trend may therefore be rising.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-breasted bee-eater</span> Species of bird

The blue-breasted bee-eater is a central African species of bird. It is a member of the family Meropidae. Meropids are all visually similar and have a diet specialized in Hymenopterans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopian bee-eater</span> Species of bird

The Ethiopian bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is found in Ethiopia and Sudan. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the blue-breasted bee-eater.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2016). "Merops viridis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22725900A94905359. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22725900A94905359.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 117.
  3. 1 2 Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 237.
  4. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 403. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Pheasants, partridges, francolins". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fry, C.H. (2001). "Family Meropidae (Bee-eaters)" . In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 286–341 [338–339]. ISBN   978-84-87334-30-6.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Stader, Lulu D. (1994). "Breeding behaviour of a tropical bird: a study of the blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis) using relational database and DNA fingerprinting". ETheses from Faculty of Natural Sciences Legacy Departments– via STORRE.
  8. 1 2 Huang, Zuhao; Tu, Feiyun; Ke, Dianhua (2016). "Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Blue-Throated Bee-eater Merops viridis (Coraciiformes: Meropidae) with its Taxonomic Consideration". Pakistan Journal of Zoology. 49 (1): 79–84. doi:10.17582/journal.pjz/2017.49.1.79.84 (inactive 2024-09-17). ISSN   0030-9923.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of September 2024 (link)
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Bryant, David M.; Tatner, Paul (1990-04-01). "Hatching asynchrony, sibling competition and siblicide in nestling birds: Studies of swiftlets and bee-eaters". Animal Behaviour. 39 (4): 657–671. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(05)80377-X. ISSN   0003-3472. S2CID   53195864.
  11. ↑ Mock, Douglas W. (1985). "Siblicidal Brood Reduction: The Prey-Size Hypothesis". The American Naturalist. 125 (3): 327–343. doi:10.1086/284346. ISSN   0003-0147. S2CID   84218162.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DeCandido, Robert; Allen, Deborah; Yosef, Reuven (2004). "Merops Migration at Tanjung Tuan, Malaysia: An Important Spring Bee-eater Migration Watchsite in South-east Asia". Journal of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology. 36 (1): 15–21. doi: 10.3312/jyio.36.15 . ISSN   1348-5032.
  13. 1 2 3 Rajpar, M. N.; Zakaria, M. (2014-09-01). "Assessing the Effects of Logging Activities on Avian Richness and Diversity in Different Aged Post-Harvested Hill Dipterocarp Tropical Rainforest of Malaysia". American Journal of Applied Sciences. 11 (9): 1519–1529. doi: 10.3844/ajassp.2014.1519.1529 . ISSN   1546-9239.
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