Blue-tailed Bee-eater

The blue-tailed bee-eater is mostly seen in open habitats close to water, widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia, where many populations are strongly migratory. It is around 29 cm long plus 7 cm tail streamers and weighs 29 to 43 g. It is mainly green with a narrow blue patch on the face, a black eye stripe, a yellow and brown throat, a blue tail and a black bill. Sexes are alike (Wikipedia, general species account).

It catches flying insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, in sorties from an open perch, beating them on the perch to kill them, and it may forage over estuaries and coastal seas. It breeds colonially in small areas, mostly in river valleys, tunnelling into loamy sand banks. The blue-cheeked bee-eater is the only look-alike, but it tends to live in drier areas.