bee-eater

The bee-eater is one of the most colourful birds found in Europe. Bee-eaters live in colonies, feeding on a variety of insects, chiefly wasps and bees. They catch their prey in mid-flight and rub it on the ground or on a branch before eating it, either to kill it or to remove its sting.

Brightly-coloured bird Merops apiaster, family Meropidae, order Coraciiformes, found in Africa, southern Europe, and Asia. Bee-eaters are slender, with chestnut, yellow, and blue-green plumage, a long bill and pointed wings, and a flight like that of the swallow, which they resemble in shape. They feed on bees, wasps, and other insects, and nest in colonies in holes dug out with their long bills in sandy river banks.