Knowra Bee-eater Bee-eater A colorful bird in the family Meropidae that catches bees and other flying insects in flight, often removing a captured insect’s sting before eating it.
Aerial insectivore : A bird or other animal that catches flying insects while airborne. Bee-eaters are specialized aerial insectivores, pursuing prey in open air.
Meropidae : A family of birds containing the bee-eaters, found across Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Bee-eaters are the family’s members, rather than a single species.
Apiculture : The practice of keeping and managing honeybee colonies. Bee-eaters can prey on honeybees near managed apiaries.
European bee-eater : A migratory bee-eater, Merops apiaster, that breeds across parts of Europe and western Asia. Its colorful plumage and cliffside colonies typify a widely recognized species.
Insectivory : A form of feeding in which an animal eats insects. Bee-eaters are insectivores whose hunting can influence local flying-insect populations.
Hawking (zoology) : A feeding strategy in which an animal launches into the air to catch flying prey. Bee-eaters commonly leave a perch to seize insects in flight.
Coraciiformes : An order of birds that includes bee-eaters, kingfishers, rollers, and their relatives. This order places bee-eaters among several colorful, perch-hunting bird lineages.
Honeybee : A bee in the genus Apis that lives in colonies and produces honey and wax. Honeybees are among the stinging insects that bee-eaters capture.
Rainbow bee-eater : An Australian bee-eater, Merops ornatus, with vivid multicolored plumage. This species shows how bee-eaters have diversified across Australasia.
Biological pest control : The use of living organisms to reduce populations of pests. By consuming insects, bee-eaters may contribute to natural control of some agricultural pests.
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