Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater
Merops philippinus
About This Species
This slender, colourful bee-eater hunts from an open perch near water across South and Southeast Asia, sallying out to snatch bees, wasps, and dragonflies in flight before returning to the same spot. Look for its elongated blue central tail feathers and listen for a rolling, liquid call given in flight. It nests colonially in tunnels excavated into sandy riverbanks or earthen cliffs, so the breeding season around such banks is the best time to see concentrated activity.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Viewing from a distance that does not cause birds to abandon their perch or flight path is enough to watch normal hunting behaviour.
- Give nesting colonies in sandbanks a wide berth, since walking near burrow entrances can cause adults to desert eggs or chicks, and colonies are vulnerable to collapse from foot traffic.
- Wildlife protection law covering native bird species exists across the countries in its range, though the details differ, so treating any colony as sensitive and off-limits to close approach is the safer default.
LCAvesCoraciiformesMeropidae
Seasonal Activity
343,352 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Meropidae
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.