Green bee-eater spotted !!

To many of us, born and living in cities in small concrete apartments with little or no access to sky – the birds known could be :  Crows, Pigeons, Parrots, Mynahs, Vultures .. .. .. 

In a recent visit to Chingleput, near the stream of a river, saw this captivating  small, dainty bird  of open  farmland, found generally in  sparse human habitation. Described as one in  green with a bluish throat, slender black eye mask and throat band, rufous or slightly rusty crown and back of the neck, and central tail streamers – these are ‘Green bee-eaters’. Juveniles are duller than adults and lack the long tail feathers. In flight,   the rusty underwing with a black trailing edge would be on display. Flies gracefully as it catches insects and other prey.  

 

The Asian green bee-eater (Merops orientalis), 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 (under the name green bee-eater) 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.   

The Asian green bee-eater was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 using its current binomial name. Like other bee-eaters, this species is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is about 9 inches (230 mm) long with about 2 inches (51 mm) made up by the elongated central tail-feathers. The sexes are not visually distinguishable. The entire plumage is bright green and tinged with blue especially on the chin and throat.  The wings are green and the beak is black. The elongated tail feathers are absent in juveniles. The calls is a nasal trill tree-tree-tree-tree, usually given in flight.

 

Interesting !

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
18.12.2024