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European Bee-eater

European Bee-eater

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Scientific Name:

Merops apiaster


Distribution

Parts of Africa, Europe, and Asia.


Diet:

Insectivore. Mostly honeybees, bumblebees and wasps, and any other species of flying insects.


Facts

Habitat: forest, savannah, shrubland, grassland, agricultural areas, always near water sources.


Incubation: 13-20 days / 4-10 eggs


Social structure: small or large colonies


Weight: 78gr


Dimensions: 28cm


Lifespan: 6 years


Estimated population in the wild: 14,000,000-25,999,999


Threats:  loss of suitable prey due to widespread application of pesticides, loss of nesting sites through canalisation of rivers or agricultural development,  shooting for sport, for food or as a crop pest.


IUCN Status: Least concern


Did you know that:

  1. They have the ability to remove the sting from insects before they eat them.
  2. They nest in riverside. Both parents excavate a burrow with a length of 70 -150cm.  At the end of the burrow there is an oval nest-chamber.
  3. They are one of the few European birds to have helpers at the nest, usually relatives that help with the feeding of the young.



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