Wheatbelt Biodiversity-Birds

Fauna Review-Rainbow Bee-eaters (Merops ornatus)

As implied by its name this little fellow is brightly colored. He is mainly iridescent green, blue and yellow. He is often mistakenly called a Kingfisher. This species is migratory and arrives in the Wheatbelt in September/October. They come here to breed and are dependent on bushland site for feeding and nesting. They have traveled down from our north and sometimes as far away as Indonesia.

Their pleasant trill gives their arrival away and at this time of year they are heard across the Wheatbelt. They eat insects, mainly flies, dragon flies and bees that are caught in flight.

You won’t find their nests in the trees as they dig a long burrow with a nesting chamber at the end.

If a bank is handy they will dig into it but many across the Wheatbelt will burrow into flat ground. They hatch and raise their chicks needing to get them big and strong quickly because in February you will notice them start to congregate in small noisy flocks only to find that one day in February or March all is quiet and they have left for their long journey home.

By Phil Lewis

To watch camera trapping footage of a Rainbow Bee-eater click the links below:



Watch the Rainbow Bee-eater fly to its nest


Watch the Rainbow Bee-eater fly out of its nest


Watch the Rainbow Bee-eater poke its head out and then fly out


Watch the Rainbow Bee-eater look around and fly out