European bee-eater

The European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) is a striking, colourful bird known for its elegant shape and aerial hunting skills. It breeds across southern and central Europe, western Asia, and parts of northern Africa, favouring warm open landscapes such as grasslands, riverbanks, and sandy plains. Outside the breeding season, most populations are strongly migratory, travelling thousands of kilometres to winter in tropical Africa. Slender-bodied with a slightly curved black bill, this species shows a beautiful mix of yellow, brown, green, and blue tones, along with two elongated central tail feathers in breeding adults. Bee-eaters are social birds, often seen feeding, roosting, and nesting in colonies, and their soft, rolling calls are a familiar sound in suitable habitats during summer.

As its name suggests, the European bee-eater feeds mainly on flying insects, especially bees, wasps, and dragonflies, which it catches skillfully in mid-air before removing the sting by rubbing the insect against a hard surface. They nest by digging long tunnels into sandy banks, where the female lays five to eight white eggs, and both parents share incubation and chick care. Although widespread and currently listed as Least Concern, this species is of special interest in South Asia because it is a rare winter migrant to Sri Lanka. Only a few confirmed records exist, including sightings from Badulla in the hill country and Yala in the south-east, making each observation notable for birdwatchers and researchers. These occasional visits highlight Sri Lanka’s importance as a seasonal refuge for long-distance migrants moving across continents.