The bee-eater family (Meropidae) is known as the bee-eater, but the bees here are big wasps with very poisonous venom. Most larks are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in Southern Europe, Australia and New Guinea.
With vibrant plumage that dazzles like a mosaic of colors, the Colorful Bird catches the eye of all who encounter it. Its feathers range from shades of royal blue to sunny yellow, with splashes of fiery orange and deep crimson, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle in the dense forests it inhabits.
Describe
It is characterized by brightly colored plumage, most of which is green, and a black streak across the eyes, a tapered body, and central tail feathers, both male and female are usually alike.
It has a large head, short neck, short brilliant coat, and short legs. Their wings can be rounded or pointed, the shape of which correlates closely with the species’ preferred habitat.
What do birds eat?
Their food is mainly insects, specifically butterflies, beetles, dragonflies, ticks, termites, crickets and also fruit flies, especially bees and wasps, these bees fly through the air, In order to find food, when meeting fast-moving birds, the bee will be caught by it with a hard beak.
Bee venom is removed by birds by rubbing the bee strongly against a hard surface, it can be said that bees are the main diet of this bird, accounting for about 70%.
Hunt
Prey will be detected from a distance. Trau payu can detect flying bees up to 60m away, for larger bees it can be detected at a further distance of up to 100m. The bees are captured from the front or from the rear. For prey that is dropped on the ground or in a tree, it will not be chased by this bird.
When catching a bee, the groom will use the strength of his jaw muscles to bite hard on the bee, especially on the head of the prey, their 2 beaks with the power to crush a large bee.
Bees caught if they are small, they will be eaten by birds, but if they are large, highly venomous bees, they will be brought back to their territory by the birds, and perform tasks such as clamping bees with their beaks, then beating them. push the bee against a branch, then rub it to release the bee’s venom sac. This behavior is innate to the cultivated species.
Most of the birds live together in groups, they form a fairly large flock, quite uniform.
Reproduction
During the breeding season, the magpies will pair up on their own, and live together for many years with settled birds, conversely migratory birds may find new friends during each breeding season.
Their courtship performances are indistinct, they basically make some calls, raise throats and feathers.
When the female shows her consent, the male will be responsible for providing her food every day, if not all of the female’s food is now provided by the male, so that the bird can The hen stores the energy needed for egg production.
Most of their nests are dug underground, a few are crevices in the cliffs and some are dug deep into the earth walls.
But no matter where the nest is, the level of risk is also there, working on cliffs or cliffs next to rivers and streams can be flooded with flash floods, with the number of up to tens or hundreds of nests. As for the birds nesting on the ground, it will be in danger of small predators.
When nesting, the burrows will be dug by both the parent and the mother, but sometimes with the help of the helping birds, which use their sharp beaks to loosen the soil, then use their legs. Push the soil back so that the soil is thrown out of the nest.
The process of building the nest can take up to 20 working days, these nests are very rarely reused by the parents for a second time. These abandoned nests will then be reused by snakes, bats and snakes. and other birds to breed, in the nest is usually not litter or grass like other birds, just an empty cavity.
Every day the mother bird will lay 1 egg until about 5 eggs, during the day both the mother and father participate in the incubation, but at night only the mother incubates. The eggs will hatch in about 20 days.
Young birds that have not yet opened their eyes and are still red will be born. For some species, the chicks don’t have to hatch all at once, so if there’s less food, the chicks can survive. The chicks will stay in the nest for about 30 days, before they can fly off to feed on their own.
Conservation status
Today, the beekeeper is a real threat to beekeepers, and beekeepers will often encourage them to be exterminated. According to the Red Book, the scorpion is considered a vulnerable bird.
The adventures of the Colorful Bird serve as a reminder that life is meant to be lived with passion and curiosity. Its unwavering determination to seek out the sweetest nectar mirrors our own quest for fulfillment and meaning. Just as this avian adventurer fearlessly navigates the unknown, we too are encouraged to embrace the unknown, to chase our dreams, and to embark on our own admirably fascinating adventures.