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Rainbow Bee-eater • Merops ornatus |
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)
Often referred to as the ‘Rainbow Bird’, this medium size bird measures up to 27
cm including the tail. The upper part show green forehead, golden crown, green
back; turquoise/blue, green and chestnut wings. With plumage that combines
pastel tints with bright hues, the Rainbow Bee-eater has a relatively long, slim
beak, that has a slight down curve. The tail is black, extending in a pair of
long, fine tail streamers with elongated clubbed shaped end. The tail is much
shorter and thicker in the female bird and absent in the immature bird.
The Rainbow Bee-eater is found in open airspace such as over woodland and open
forest, semi-arid scrub, grassland, farmland. This provides the space for their
aerial acrobatics in pursuit of flying insects such as bees and dragonflies.
They do require sandy banks or loamy soil soft enough for excavating their nest
burrows, but the soil needs to be firm enough to sustain the tunnel to the nest. |
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| Common
Name |
Scientific Name |
Where Found |
Rainbow Bee-eater
Rainbow Bird |
Merops ornatus |
Found throughout Australia in open areas, especially
woodland and semi-arid regions. |
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Scientific
Classification |
| Kingdom: |
Animalia |
| Phylum: |
Chordata |
| Class: |
Aves |
| Order: |
Coraciformes |
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| Family: |
Meropidae |
| Genus: |
Merops |
| Species: |
Merops ornatus |
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