The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority is celebrating birds and bats in 2024 with the Year of the Wing community awareness campaign. This month, the Rainbow Bee-eater is featured.
GB CMA project officer, Janice Mentiplay-Smith, described the Rainbow Bee-eater as a true woodland gem.
“The Rainbow Bee-eater dazzles as it pursues an in-flight insect meal - bees or otherwise,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.
“It’s perfectly designed for the mid-air hunt and is identifiable by its luminous colouring, elongated curved bill and aerodynamically efficient tail-streamers sported by the male.”
The Goulburn Broken catchment’s Rainbow Bee-eaters are generally migratory. They spend winter in northern Australia and islands beyond, before returning south to summer breeding areas.
“Both parents select a nesting site in a sandy bank - often a riverbank, disused quarry or quiet road cutting – and in an admirable feat of engineering use their bill to excavate a 90-centimetre-deep tunnel that leads to a grass-lined nesting chamber,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.
“As an aerial insectivore the Rainbow Bee-eater predominantly feeds upon bees and wasps, however dragonflies, beetles, butterflies and moths – generally any flying insect – are on the menu. After snapping up its mid-air meal it returns to its perch to beat the insect into a manageable morsel. Wasps and bees are rubbed against the perch to remove the venomous ‘sting’.
“Unfortunately, this beautiful bird is facing some challenges. As an insectivore, the Rainbow Bee-eater relies on a healthy pantry of flying insects as its food source. An increase in chemical use over time in our landscape has resulted in the dramatic decline of many insects, including those which are eaten by the Rainbow Bee-eater.
“Thankfully there is one threat that does not exist anymore. During the 1930s in Queensland, the Rainbow Bee-eater was considered an economic threat to the honey trade and a bounty was paid for its destruction. As proof that beauty can indeed be a curse, this beautiful bird was also harvested for its brilliant feathers and long tail-steamers for the fashionable hat-making trade.”
The Aussie Backyard Bird Count, from 14-20 October, is an annual citizen science event by BirdLife Australia. During this week participants spend 20 minutes counting and recording the birds they see. It’s for all ages and skill levels.
The data collected helps BirdLife Australia understand local bird populations and trends, contributing to conservation efforts. https://aussiebirdcount.org.au
Rainbow Bee-eater by Chris Tzaros.