Bee-<i>Eaters </i>

Bee-eater and butterfly Photo: Ihtisham Kabir

It was a sunny day in early winter with a crystalline blue sky. The brown butterfly sailed blissfully high up in the air, unprepared for death. When it sensed the danger signs, it shook and fluttered (to come out of its reverie?) and flew faster on a zig-zag course. Too late. The two green birds with long pointed beaks were flying towards it perhaps five times faster. As they came close, one bird shoved the other away and effortlessly picked up the butterfly with its beak.
Then the bird returned to its perch high on a copper-pod tree, butterfly squirming in its beak. Without opening its mouth, it shaved off the butterfly's wings which floated to the ground. Within a few seconds, it had consumed the butterfly's body.
I had just witnessed a hunting technique called hawking or sallying, used by smaller birds. The bird in question was a bee-eater.
It is more common to see bee-eaters catch a flying bee, its staple food. Returning to its perch with the bee, the bird repeatedly hits it on the branch to remove its sting or venom before eating it. When it catches smaller insects it eats them almost instantaneously. Bee-eaters always catch flying insects – ignoring the same insects if they are sitting somewhere - and often sit on an exposed perch scanning the sky for possible quarry.
Bee-eaters are social birds. I once saw perhaps a dozen of them bathing in a pond. I was standing on the edge of the pond when a loud commotion caught my attention. A swarm of birds had flown into a nearby amloki tree and loud chattering ensued. Within a minute they started diving into the water, first a solitary bird, then two or three at a time, shooting straight up from the water after each dive. It was like an elaborately choreographed dance that lasted less than thirty seconds. When it was over I shook my head wondering whether I was dreaming.
On another occasion I saw some bee-eaters on a sandy field. Unfortunately I could not get close, but it looked like they were rolling in the sand. I read later they like to sand-bathe.
The bee-eater is a small bird, perhaps six to seven inches long. Its plumage combines rich green, blue, yellow and orange; its eyes are red. The central tail feather is often thin and elongated. Its body is sleek and streamlined, ready for action.
Most species of bee-eaters can be found in Asia and Africa, with a few varieties in Europe, Australia and New Guinea. Bangladesh has four varieties of the bird. In Bangla it is called sui chora. I have seen green bee-eaters and chestnut-headed bee-eaters (with red heads), but not the blue-tailed or the blue-bearded ones.
Other than its colour, its remarkable feature is its beak: curved, pointed and sharp.
The bee-eater is not shy of humans. If you see one perched on a branch, watch it with patience and you might catch an exciting show.

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