European Bee-eater

The European Bee-eater is a strikingly colorful bird, with a chestnut-and-gold back, bright yellow throat bordered by a black band, vivid turquoise-blue underparts, and elongated central tail feathers that form thin streamers. In flight its sleek, swallow-like silhouette and slender, downcurved bill are distinctive.

True to its name, it specializes in catching bees and wasps on the wing, subduing venomous prey by beating it against a perch and rubbing out the sting before swallowing.

Key field marks

• Chestnut and golden-yellow back
• Turquoise-blue underparts and rump
• Bright yellow throat bordered by black
• Black eye-stripe
• Long, slender, downcurved bill
• Elongated central tail streamers
• Rolling, liquid "prrup" flight call

Similar species

• No other European bird shares this combination of colors; it is unmistakable when seen well, though distant flying flocks can suggest swallows or swifts by shape alone.

Its vivid multicolored plumage makes the European Bee-eater one of the most distinctive birds in its range.

Habitat

Favors open, sunny country such as farmland, olive groves, and river valleys, requiring sandy or earthen banks, quarries, or cuttings for nesting burrows.

Range

Breeds across southern and parts of central Europe, North Africa, and western Asia; a long-distance migrant wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.

Migration

Arrives on breeding grounds in April and May, departing again in August and September; increasingly recorded breeding further north in Europe in recent years, likely linked to warming climate.

Behavior

Highly social, breeding in colonies and often perching in groups on wires or bare branches between aerial sallies after flying insects, calling frequently while in flight.

Voice

Gives a distinctive liquid, rolling "prrup" or "quilp" call, often the first indication of a passing flock overhead.

Feeding

Catches bees, wasps, dragonflies, and other flying insects in swift aerial sallies from a perch, removing stings by beating prey against a branch before swallowing.

Nesting and breeding

Excavates a long tunnel nest, often over a meter deep, in sandy banks or cliffs, typically in dense colonies. Pairs lay 4-7 white eggs, incubated by both parents for about 20 days.