European Bee-eater - A winter visitor to India

             European Bee-eater

European Bee-eaters are common in Europe but in India they are winter migrants. In North India, they are frequently seen during migration season but in South India, they are rare sighting. If they are spotted, they create a ruckus among birdwatchers. They are local celebrities among birders when they visit South India. Like other Bee-eaters, they catch bees and other insects in flight , then return back to the perch. They are gregarious birds and roost communally. The European Bee-eater is a brightly colored bird but during non-breeding season, their plumage can be duller. They are similar in size to the Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, but one can clearly notice the difference between these species when looked closer. In Europe, they were considered a threat to bee population by bee farmers. So they were killed by closing their nest holes and other cruel methods. In India, these birds are not much bothered by humans. 

Here is the video of European Bee-eater we recorded in Tamilnadu.