European bee-eater
Merops apiaster
Turquoise, yellow and chestnut birds that line up on wires in summer calling "prrrip prrrip". One of Europe's most colorful birds is right here with us.
| Size | 25–29 cm (with tail streamers) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 36–40 cm |
| Weight | 45–70 g |
| Diet | Bees, wasps, dragonflies and flying insects |
| Eggs | 4–7 |
| Where to see it | Open land, riverbanks; April–September |
The back is chestnut and yellow, the throat bright yellow, the chest turquoise. The two feathers in the middle of the tail are longer than the others.
Its name isn't for nothing, it mainly eats bees. What about the sting? After catching a bee, it takes it to a branch and hits and rubs it on the branch until the sting comes out and the venom is gone. Then it swallows it happily.
It builds its nest in earth banks and sand walls on riverbanks. It digs tunnels longer than a meter with its beak. Always in colonies, side by side.
They spend the winter in Africa. Some beekeepers complain about them, but research says a colony generally doesn't do serious harm to an apiary.
To draw it in DrawBird
Use the colorful bird idea from the parrot lesson, but make the beak long, thin and slightly curved. Add two long feathers in the middle of the tail. Throat yellow, chest turquoise, back chestnut.
Drawing lesson: How to draw a parrot →
Other birds
- Eurasian hoopoe
The bird that fans out the crest on its head and calls "hoo-poo-poo". Some people call it … - Northern bald ibis
A bird with a bald red head, scruffy feathers on its nape and a long red beak. It lives un… - Mallard
Most of the ducks waiting for bread by the lake are mallards. They are also the ancestor o…