Speaking of bee-eaters, many people may have the illusion that they are related to hummingbirds , but in fact they have nothing to do with each other. Scientists believe that the reason why they are named bee-eaters may be related to the prey they like to hunt. They like to prey on bees. For bees, bee-eaters are like tigers. Once they encounter them, the probability of escaping is almost is zero. The chestnut-throated bee-eater has the characteristics of tropical birds, with bright feathers, and the feathers under the wings are particularly conspicuous when flying. Under the sunlight, their entire body shines with a metallic luster. Some people call it one of the most beautiful birds in China. Although their name contains "tiger", they are still very outstanding in appearance and can be called "the beauties of the bird world".
The chestnut-throated bee-eater is a national second-level protected animal. Also known as the ruby-throated bee-eater. It is a kind of bird belonging to the phylum Chordata, the order Aves, the order Dharma, the family Bee-eater, and the genus Bee-eater. It has the characteristics of colorful feathers of tropical birds: the throat is maroon, black eye stripes, the wings and back are green, the tail is blue, and the feathers under the wings are orange when flying. Under the sunlight, , their whole bodies shone with a metallic luster. It has superb flying skills and can perform difficult actions such as rapid flight, gliding, hovering, rapid turning and pitching in the air.
chestnut-throated bee-eater, tail and waist blue; throat chestnut. The front and back of the eyes and the ear feathers are black; the lower part and a narrow eyebrow line are light blue-green; from the forehead to the back and the surface of the wings are bright green; from the top of the head to the back, the grass is green with yellow, and there is a wide black eye stripe from the forehead to the eyes. From the eye to the ear coverts, there is a black eye stripe with a narrow blue stripe above and below it. The waist and upper tail coverts are bright blue, and the tail is blue-green. The central tail feathers are very extended and narrow, and they extend beyond the side tail feathers. The length is far more than twice the length of the tarsometatarsus; the tip protrudes about 38-45 mm, and the protruding tip is black.
chestnut-throated bee-eater, the surface of the shoulders and wings is grass green, the upper wing coverts, primary flight feathers and outer secondary flight feathers are copper green. The inner flight feathers are blue with black tips, and the outer flight feathers also have black tips. The chin and upper throat are yellow, the lower throat and upper chest are chestnut; the lower chest and belly are green, the lower abdomen to the lower tail coverts are blue, and the axillary feathers and underwing coverts are chestnut yellow. The surface of the waist and upper tail feathers and tail feathers are bright green and blue; the ends of the central tail feathers are almost black, and the inner edges of the side tail feathers are light reddish maroon; the primary and secondary flight feathers have light black tips, and the outermost ones are The exposed parts of the innermost wings are light green; the underside of the wings is orange-brown.
chestnut-throated bee-eater, with bright yellow chin; bright chestnut throat; light yellow-green to light green from the chest down; silver-blue feathers under the tail. The upper body feathers of young birds lack luster; the throat of the lower body is lighter maroon, with more light blue and less green underneath. The central tail feathers are not elongated and lack narrow tips. The iris is rose red; the mouth is black; the feet are dark brown; the claws are black.
The chestnut-throated bee-eater is common in open habitats below 1,200 meters above sea level. They gather in groups to hunt in open areas. It perches on exposed branches or wires and glides lazily in circuitous directions in search of insects. In southwestern Yunnan, China and Hainan Island, is resident bird , and in other areas it is summer migratory bird . White butterflies are the main food, and dragonflies, cicadas, moths, insect-eating flies, beetles, etc. are food resources.
The chestnut-throated bee-eater mostly moves in groups of several to dozens of individuals. During the breeding period, some may also move alone or in pairs. It has agile movements and often catches prey in the air while flying. They gather in groups to hunt in open areas. They live on exposed branches or wires and feed on insects. They like open fields and dig holes in cliffs as their nests. They often build nests in large groups to form spectacular nests. Compared with other bee-eaters, it prefers to hunt in the air. During the day, males mostly fly over open areas such as farmlands to hunt for prey. Sometimes a swarm of bee-eaters flew overhead, chirping.It makes a plaintive trill when flying.
The chestnut-throated bee-eater has a breeding period from April to June. Nest on steep earthen rock walls beside rivers and streams. They dig their own holes to make their nests, which are tunnel-shaped. This species has been included in the 2013 Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union and is of Least Concern. It has been included in the "List of Terrestrial Wild Animals Protected by the State that Are Beneficial or of Important Economic and Scientific Research Value" issued by the State Forestry Administration of China on August 1, 2000. It has been included in the second level of "China's National Key Protected Wild Animals List".
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Photography: Haikuotiankong Photography Studio
Written by: Haikuotiankong (Liu Jia)
Shooting location: Shidian County, Baoshan City, Yunnan
Reprinted from Meipian
