Bee-eaters (W)

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The bee-eaters are a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers.

This is a group of birds which breeds in open country in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Old World.

Just as the expressive name reveals, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sallies from an open perch. Before eating its meal, a bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface.

Bee-eaters are gregarious, nesting colonially in tunnels in sandy banks; the eggs are white. They also feed and roost communally.

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