The White-Fronted Bee-eater, Merops bullockoides, is a species of bee-eater widely distrubted in sub-equatorial Africa. Their habitat commonly consists of open country, often near gullies.
Description
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly colored, slender bird, but with a distinctive black mask, white forehead, square tail and a bright red throat. The upperparts are green, with cinnamon underparts.
Calls / Vocalization
The call is a deep squeak.
Nesting / Breeding
They nest in small colonies, digging holes in cliffs or banks of earth, and have one of the most complex family-based social systems found in birds. Colonies comprise family groups, known as “clans” which exhibit co-operative breeding. Non-breeding individuals become helpers to relatives and assist to raise their brood.
Diet / Feeding
Their diet is made up primarily of bees, but they also take other flying insects depending on the season and availability of prey.
Bee-eaters … Photo Gallery
