(European) Bee-eater Merops apiaster
The (European) Bee-eater breeds in southern Europe, North Africa and west and Central Asia;
it winters in southern Africa and South Asia. Male and female have similar turquoise green (front) and bronze (back) plumage with yellow chin.
Juveniles lack the long central tail feather of the adults.
Related to Kingfishers, Bee-eaters catch bees (mainly) and other flying insects in flight.
They nest in holes in sandy banks, in colonies. There have been rare vagrants and even rare successful breeding attempts in the UK (wild).
The above two photos of mating Bee-eaters were taken by Alexandra Makhnina in Kazakhstan.
They often hunt from a convenient perch.
The three pictures above and all those below are also by Alexandra Makhnina.
Bee-eater musical score
Links
Carmine Bee-eater
White-fronted Bee-eater
Green Bee-eater
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Blue-tailed Bee-eater