European Bee-Eater

A European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) is shown perched on a branch, facing left. A migratory species of the Meropidae family, it is characterized by its brightly colored plumage. As its name suggests, the European bee-eater feeds mostly on flying insects and more particularly on honeybees. The author describes it as a somewhat rare straggler to our islands from the south.