African Green Bee Eater

A vibrant green bee eater bird perched on a weathered log against a blurred yellow background.

African Green Bee Eater

LIFE

The African Green Bee-eater (Merops viridissimus) is as clever as it is colorful. Beyond their vibrant emerald plumage, they are famous for their specialized hunting skills and intelligence. As their name suggests, they love bees and wasps. To avoid getting stung, they have a specific ritual. After catching a stinging insect in mid-air, they return to a perch. They rub and hit the insect’s abdomen against the wood to break the stinger and squeeze out the venom. Only after this "de-stinging" process is complete do they swallow their meal. Green Bee-eaters are one of the few bird species known to show signs of Theory of Mind. Researchers have observed that these birds won't enter their nesting burrows if they notice a predator (like a lizard or a human) is looking directly at them. They seem to understand that if a predator sees where they go, their nest is in danger. One might expect a bird this beautiful to live in a fancy nest in the trees, but they actually nest in the ground. They tunnel into sandy banks or flat ground, creating burrows that can be up to 5 feet long. Green bee eaters are found everywhere from the Arabian peninsula to South and South East Asia. The differences between these species can be made out based on blue and/or red tint on chin and crown for the non African species.

Artist description

The African Green Bee-eater (Merops viridissimus) is as clever as it is colorful. Beyond their vibrant emerald plumage, they are famous for their specialized hunting skills and intelligence. As their name suggests, they love bees and wasps. To avoid getting stung, they have a specific ritual. After catching a stinging insect in mid-air, they return to a perch. They rub and hit the insect’s abdomen against the wood to break the stinger and squeeze out the venom. Only after this "de-stinging" process is complete do they swallow their meal. Green Bee-eaters are one of the few bird species known to show signs of Theory of Mind. Researchers have observed that these birds won't enter their nesting burrows if they notice a predator (like a lizard or a human) is looking directly at them. They seem to understand that if a predator sees where they go, their nest is in danger. One might expect a bird this beautiful to live in a fancy nest in the trees, but they actually nest in the ground. They tunnel into sandy banks or flat ground, creating burrows that can be up to 5 feet long. Green bee eaters are found everywhere from the Arabian peninsula to South and South East Asia. The differences between these species can be made out based on blue and/or red tint on chin and crown for the non African species.