Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus
彩虹蜂虎
Introduction
A species of bee-eater in family Meropidae. It is monotypic, being the only bee-eater species found in Australia with no accepted subspecies. Geographic range encompasses southern Australia in summer, migrating north in winter to northern Australia, New Guinea, and southern Indonesian islands. Vagrants recorded in Japan and Taiwan. Inhabits open woodlands, beaches, dunes, cliffs, mangroves, farmlands, parks, and gardens. Notable traits include brilliant multicolored plumage and highly social behavior, roosting communally in large groups. Classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List with a stable, widespread population.
Description
Small, brilliantly colored bird measuring 23-28 cm in length including elongated tail streamers, weighing 20-33 g. Upper back and wings are green, while lower back and under-tail coverts are bright blue. Undersides of wings and primary flight feathers are rufous to copper with green edges and black tips. Tail is black to deep violet, with two elongated central feathers longer in males than females. Head crown, stomach, breast, and throat are pale yellow-orange, with a black crescent-shaped gorget and black stripe edged in blue extending through the bright red eye. Feet are small and syndactylous. Juveniles have duller overall plumage, greener crown, and lack throat bands and tail streamers.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds in summer across forested areas of southern Australia, excluding Tasmania. Migrates northward for winter to northern Australia, New Guinea, and southern Indonesian islands. Vagrant records exist from Miyako Island, Japan, and Green Island off southeast Taiwan. Occupies diverse habitats including open woodlands, beaches, dunes, cliffs, mangroves, and farmlands; also visits parks and private gardens.
Behavior & Ecology
Highly social species, roosting communally in large groups in dense undergrowth or trees when not breeding. Vocalizations include loud, melodious 'pir-r-r' calls with rapid vibrating and high pitch, typically given in flight; softer, slower calls exchanged between perching birds. Diet consists primarily of flying insects, especially bees; watches for prey from perches and can spot insects up to 45 m away. Catches prey in flight, returns to perch, and removes stingers by rubbing against vegetation. Immune to bee and wasp stings. Breeding season occurs before and after the rainy season in the north (approximately March to May and September to November) and from November to January in the south. Believed to mate for life. Nests in burrows dug in flat or gently sloping ground; females dig approximately 7-8 cm per day using bill and feet in a balancing motion. Tunnel functions as a piston system for air circulation. Clutch of 3-7 translucent white eggs measuring 24 by 18 mm, incubated 21-24 days. Fledging occurs at 28-31 days; young fed by both parents and other group members.
Conservation
Classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Population is stable and widespread throughout its range. Known threats include predation on nestlings by cane toads. The Roe 8 highway extension project in Perth, Western Australia, generated concern about impacts on habitat in the Beeliar Wetlands migration corridor; the project was suspended in 2017 following a change in state government.
Culture
The Roe 8 highway extension controversy brought attention to this species' habitat use in the Beeliar Wetlands near Perth, Western Australia. Conservation advocates highlighted the area as a migration corridor, contributing to political debate that influenced the project's suspension.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Meropidae
- Genus
- Merops
- eBird Code
- rabeat1
Distribution
breeds in eastern New Guinea and Australia, including Rottnest Island (off southwestern Australia), and islands in Torres Strait; winters mainly north of breeding range in New Guinea region and westward to Wallacea
Vocalizations
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.