Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters, turning religious (part one)

The bee-eaters are a group of non-passerine birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and twenty-seven species, Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in Southern Europe and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly-coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongate central tail feathers. All have a long down-turned bill and medium to long wings, which may be pointed or round. Male and female plumages are usually similar.

Five species are found in Malaysia, with some being migrant breeders. In Penang state the only endemic species, commonly seen, are the Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters (Merops leschenaulti). The species is 18-20cm long but it lacks the elongated central tail feathers common to many of its relatives. In this case it may be a distinct advantage. Locally they can be seen hunting in forested area in the morning and evening. Around the beginning of the year they prepare for breeding.

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Paired off for breeding at the start of the year

Hunting regularly

The design of their nest

They make their nests in muddy banks (as shown above) and congregate with others in particular breeding grounds. One such site was a disused moto-cross track at Penanti, on the mainland. This has since been taken over for other activities. Nesting is an energy intensive activity and a tunnel around a metre long has to be drilled into the bank. Their bills are suited to function like picks to loosen the soil but their tiny, dainty feet are not well suited to moving the loosened dirt.........but they manage by forming a half pipe with stiffened wings and kicking furiously.

Kicking dirt

Co-ordinated effort

Showing the amount of dirt drilled out of the nest cavity

During this time they must hunt for sustenance and mating also takes place in this period. When the male wants to mate or later on when the female is egg-laying he will bring her gifts on insects. Mating is reminiscent of a wrestling  or mixed martial arts match. 

Gift-giving occurs before mating and when the female is egg-laying

The female leans forward as a prelude to mating

Mating looks rather violent with the male's bill being used as a restraint

Five or six eggs are laid in a nursery chamber constructed in the inner end of the tunnel. The adult birds take turns incubating the eggs. The chicks will fledge 30 days later. In the meantime a stream of insects are taken into the nest by both parents and sometimes by close relatives. The eggs are laid on different days so the chicks mature asynchronously. The older chicks can be seen later at the nest entrance a few days before they fledge.

Bees and other insects are caught to feed the chicks

............ and delivered to the nesting tunnel

Many insects are delivered

A chick's eye view of the adult coming into the nest (GoPro camera)

Leaving the nest

The adults will drop heavy hints to the mature chicks dominating the entrance of the nest. After stuffing them with large insects they will land away from the entrance hoping the chicks will move away from the entrance for the food.

A final feeding before the chick fledges

The chick emerges from the nest and soon flies off. They have mainly green heads.

After the nesting period the colony will disperse until the next season

Blue-throated Bee-eaters also use the same grounds and disputes may occur

There are certain disadvantages in nesting in such places; poachers, land developers, motor-bike riders, feral dogs, snakes, thoughtless photographers, flooding, soil pathogens and birds of prey can all be detrimental to breeding success.

BUT this species is very smart and have adopted a nesting strategy that takes most of the hard labour out of the mating game.