0720e Little Bee Eater - a photo on Flickriver

These colorful birds really show off their vividness against dry savannah conditions, but blend in more with the greens along waterholes.

The little bee-eater (Merops pusillus) is a near passerine bird species in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. They are residents in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. They should not be confused with the little green bee-eater, Merops orientalis. Migration is limited to seasonal movements depending on rainfall patterns.

Members of this species, like other bee-eaters, are rich and brightly-coloured slender birds. They have green upper parts, yellow throats, black gorgets, and rich brown upper breasts fading to buffish ocre on the belly. Their wings are green and brown, and their beaks are black. They reach a length of 15–17 cm, which makes them the smallest African bee-eater. Sexes are alike. Often silent, their call is a soft "seep."

These are abundant and tame birds, familiar throughout their range. There have been estimated to be between 60-80 million little bee-eaters. They breed in open country with bushes, preferably near water. Just as the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, who are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. This species often hunts from low perches, maybe only a metre or less high. Before eating their meal, a bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface.

Unlike most bee-eaters, these are solitary nesters, making a tunnel in sandy banks, or sometimes in the entrance to an Aardvark den. They lay 4 to 6 spherical white eggs. Both the male and the female take care of the eggs. These birds roost communally, lined up on a tree branch. Wikipedia

See more in my African Safari album : www.flickr.com/photos/25171569@N02/albums/72157669809103977

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Taken in: Kenya / Narok / Ol Kiombo (show map)

Taken on: July 21, 2018

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Camera: NIKON COOLPIX P900, f/6.3, 1/500 sec, 268mm, ISO 360 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	NIKON COOLPIX P900
Aperture:	f/6.3
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/500)
Focal Length:	268mm
ISO:	360
Exposure Bias:	-1 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	High
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	COOLPIX P900 V1.0
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