Red-bearded bee-eater

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Red-bearded bee-eater
Red-bearded Bee-eater (Female).jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Meropidae
Genus: Nyctyornis
Species:
N. amictus
Binomial name
Nyctyornis amictus
(Temminck, 1824)

The red-bearded bee-eater (Nyctyornis amictus) is a large species of bee-eater found in southern Myanmar, the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra and nearby smaller islands. This species is found in openings in patches of dense forest.

Contents

Description

Like other bee-eaters, they are colourful birds with long tails, long decurved beaks and pointed wings. They are large bee-eaters, predominantly green, with a red colouration to face that extends on to the slightly hanging throat feathers to form the “beard”. Their eyes are orange.

Diet

Like other bee-eaters, they predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in flight from perches concealed in foliage. They hunt alone or in pairs, rather than in flocks, and sit motionless for long periods before pursuing their prey.

Behaviour

Like other bee-eaters, they nest in burrows tunnelled into the side of sandy banks, but do not form colonies.

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 non-passerine birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and twenty-seven 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.

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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.

Blue-cheeked bee-eater Species of bird

The blue-cheeked bee-eater is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. The genus name Merops is Ancient Greek for "bee-eater", and persicus is Latin for "Persian".

<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 the nest by tunneling into loamy sand banks. They are seen mostly in open habitats close to water.

Little bee-eater Species of bird

The little bee-eater is a near passerine bird species in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. They are residents in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. They should not be confused with the little green bee-eater. Migration is limited to seasonal movements depending on rainfall patterns.

Asian green bee-eater 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. 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.

Swallow-tailed bee-eater Species of bird

The swallow-tailed bee-eater is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae.

Chestnut-headed bee-eater Species of bird

The chestnut-headed bee-eater, or bay-headed bee-eater, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is a resident breeder in the Indian subcontinent and adjoining regions, ranging from India east to Southeast Asia.

White-throated bee-eater Species of bird

The white-throated bee-eater is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in semi-desert along the southern edge of the Sahara, Africa. The white-throated bee-eater is migratory, wintering in a completely different habitat in the equatorial rain forests of Africa from southern Senegal to Uganda.

Rainbow bee-eater Species of bird

The rainbow bee-eater is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae.

Blue-bearded bee-eater Species of bird

The blue-bearded bee-eater is a species of bee-eater found in much of the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. This bee-eater is found in forest clearings. It is found mainly in the Malayan region but extends west into peninsular India. The blue feathers of its throat are elongated and often fluffed giving it its name. They have a loud call but are not as gregarious or active as the smaller bee-eaters, and their square ended tail lacks the typical "wires" made up of the shafts of the longer central tail feathers found in many other bee-eaters.

<i>Nyctyornis</i> Genus of birds

Nyctyornis is a genus of the bee-eaters, near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. There are just two members of this group, which occur in tropical south and southeastern Asia.

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

The white-fronted bee-eater is a species of bee-eater widely distributed in sub-equatorial Africa.

Northern carmine bee-eater Species of bird

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Southern carmine bee-eater Species of bird

The southern carmine bee-eater occurs across sub-equatorial Africa.

Purple-bearded bee-eater Species of bird

The purple-bearded bee-eater or Celebes bee-eater is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is an endemic resident on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. This species is often seen in clearings inside dense forest.

Red-throated bee-eater Species of bird

The red-throated bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. This species is found in tropical Africa, in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. It has a wide range and large total population, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Black bee-eater Species of bird

The black bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is native to the African tropical rainforest where it is found at the edges of the rainforest and in secondary woodland.

Rosy bee-eater Species of bird

The rosy bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.

Blue-throated bee-eater Species of bird

The blue-throated bee-eater 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.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Nyctyornis amictus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22683661A92994496. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22683661A92994496.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.