Ethiopian bee-eater

Ethiopian bee-eater
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Meropidae
Genus:	Merops
Species:	M. lafresnayii
Binomial name
Merops lafresnayii Guérin-Méneville, 1843

The Ethiopian bee-eater (Merops lafresnayii) 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.

The Ethiopian bee-eater is a rainforest bird usually found solitarily. It perches on a high branch in the canopy beside tracks and clearings and swoops down on small butterflies, honeybees, and other insects before returning to its original perch.

Though its species distribution is fairly well documented, very little information is known about the mating patterns of the Ethiopian bee-eater. Their habitat largely consists of places of medium to high humidity, where heavy rainfall persists throughout the year, mainly within the rainforests that make up a large portion of south-western Ethiopia and parts of Sudan. Though the Ethiopian bee-eater’s exact population size is unknown, their numbers remain stable, and there are no known threats of environmental conservation. Thus, the population trend of the species meets the criterion of being labeled “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

Description

The feathers on the back of a typical Ethiopian bee-eater are green, with a russet undercarriage, a yellow throat, and a dark blue band around their crown, eyes, and across their breast. In flight, a black stripe and additional russet feathers can be viewed beneath their back and along the underside of their wings. From above, the Ethiopian bee-eater’s wing feathers appear tawny near the inside and azure blue moving closer to the outside, with a black stripe along the back of their wings.

Diet

Ethiopian bee-eaters are an insectivorous species, and their diet largely consists of flying bugs such as butterflies, dragonflies, moths, large beetles, and bees. Ethiopian bee-eaters primarily utilize two hunting methods. They either dart swiftly between the shrubs and low branches of trees to seize insects, or descend at a slow, even pace from their roost, hovering in the air momentarily before snatching their prey. After ensnaring their impending meal, they return to their perch, secure the prey at the forefront of their beaks, and repeatedly strike their heads against a branch to ensure its demise before consumption.

Behavior

Ethiopian bee-eaters behave much like other species in the Meropidae family in that they are both gregarious and diurnal birds. They are often observed gathering into large flocks, establishing territories roughly 2 kilometers from their flock’s designated feeding sites during mating season. In these areas of brooding and nesting, bee-eaters use the safety of these locations to socialize with other nests and preen, exposing their feathers to sunlight and using dust baths to prevent ectoparasitic infestations.

Nest

Ethiopian bee-eaters form their nests by digging horizontal tunnels in vertical walls, with an elliptical enclosure at the end for them to store their clutch. They lay a single clutch each year, which usually consists of 5 eggs.