Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Merops philippinus
A master of the air, the Blue-tailed Bee-eater combines shimmering green plumage with unmatched aerial agility. Often found near water, these social hunters are a brilliant sight as they dive and glide in pursuit of dragonflies.
Quick Identification
Size
23-26 cm (9-10 in) in length; 35-40 cm (14-16 in) wingspan; 38-50 g (1.3-1.8 oz) weight
Colors
Bright green upperparts, rufous-brown throat, yellow chin, blue rump and tail, and a prominent black eye-stripe.
Key Features
- Elongated blue central tail streamers
- Rich rufous/brown throat patch with a yellow chin
- Black mask extending through the eye
- Slender, curved black bill
- Vibrant green wings and back
When You’ll See Them
Geographic range
Where Does the Blue-tailed Bee-eater Live?
Native to the Asian continent, the Blue-tailed Bee-eater enjoys a massive range extending from the Indian Subcontinent across Southeast Asia. They are commonly found from India and Sri Lanka through Thailand, Vietnam, and southern China, reaching as far as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. While some populations in the tropics are resident year-round, northern populations are strongly migratory, traveling south to avoid the cooler winters.
Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors
Behavior
The Blue-tailed Bee-eater is a highly social and gregarious bird, often found in small groups or large colonies, particularly near water. They are master aerialists, spending a significant portion of their day on exposed perches like dead branches, wires, or fences. From these vantage points, they launch rapid, acrobatic sorties to intercept flying insects mid-air, often returning to the same spot to consume their catch.
These birds are famous for their 'bee-rubbing' behavior, where they strike a captured stinging insect against a branch and rub its abdomen to remove the stinger and venom before swallowing. They are colonial nesters, digging deep horizontal tunnels into sandy riverbanks or open, flat ground. While they can be vocal with a distinct 'pirrup' or 'kwink' call, they are generally approachable and adapt well to human-modified landscapes like orchards and large gardens.
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Camera Tips
To capture the Blue-tailed Bee-eater on a backyard or trail camera, focus on their preferred hunting perches. Look for exposed, high vantage points like the tops of bamboo stakes, fence lines, or dead tree limbs near water. Place your camera 6 to 10 feet away from a known 'favorite' perch, as these birds are habitual and will return to the same branch dozens of times a day to process their prey.
Lighting is key to showcasing their iridescent plumage. Position your camera so it is back-lit during the morning or side-lit during the late afternoon; this will make the blue in their tails and the metallic green of their backs shimmer. Because they are incredibly fast flyers, use a high-speed trigger setting or a camera capable of high-frame-rate video to catch the split-second 'take-off' and 'landing' moments that define their behavior.
In terms of lures, you won't have luck with birdseed. Instead, attract their prey by planting native flowering plants that draw in bees and dragonflies, or maintain a small garden pond. If you are setting up near a nesting bank, ensure the camera is well-camouflaged and placed at a distance that does not obstruct their flight path to the burrow entrance, as they can be sensitive to new objects near their nests during the early breeding season.
Similar Species
Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Blue-tailed Bee-eater.
Frequently Asked Questions
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