Up close with beguiling Rainbow Bee-eaters – Juveniles in Capertee Valley
25These juvenile Rainbow Bee-eaters (Merops ornatus) were filmed in early March 2019 in the Capertee Valley, NSW. Given subtle differences in colouring and other features (e.g. little white feathers near some eyes) it’s likely we are presenting three individuals. The first two in the video were filmed in the area shown in photo 2, while the third was a short walk away on a hills hoist next to a human abode. It’s tempting to make a connection with three spotted in January 2019 atop a dead tree, waiting for their parents to feed them. Sometimes Rainbow Bee-eaters are solitary nesters, but often they breed in loose colonies (however small). As we saw about eight adults in October 2018, the video stars might not be siblings. Finding a nest burrow was another matter. A plethora of possible nesting sites (e.g. dams with sandy banks and gullies) meant they could be easily missed. But at least we could witness their breeding success with these wonderful close-up views of their offspring.
Like many birds who are migratory or partially so (e.g. some Rainbow Bee-eaters are resident in northern Australia), they are often described as “summer visitors” to southern Australia, despite arriving in spring. This label simply emphasises that the species is not seen year round and overwinters elsewhere. Indeed, we didn’t notice (sight or sound) any bee-eaters upon our return at the end of March (nor in May/June) so they may have being preparing to leave around filming time. By March these pretty youngsters have clearly learned how to find their own food. Mostly they were observed on exposed perches, but the second juvenile in the video was a little more hidden in a shrub. Rainbow Bee-eaters scan for prey from perches (of varying height) and usually sally forth to take insects in flight, but occasionally snatch food from the ground or foliage. While they eat a variety of insects (and the odd other animal, such as earthworms and tadpoles), they are bee-and-wasp specialists. They know how to manipulate their prey so that the sting is neutralised.
For further information and footage of adult Rainbow Bee-eaters nesting on the other side of the Blue Mountains (i.e. Cornwallis and Upper Colo) go to https://youtu.be/Si2sOSG_D0Q To read more about these beautiful birds visit http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Merops-ornatus and http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=670