Dave Taylor's African Safari: Trophic Level III: Omnivores and Small Carnivores - Little Bee Eater

Trophic Level III: Omnivores and Small Carnivores
Little Bee Eater
Page 23

Merops pusillus

Length: 16 cm (6")

Status: Common

Habitat: Little bee-eaters are found in grassy areas near streams, marshes and lakes in the dry season. In the wet season, they move to wooded savannas and grassy areas.

Food: The little bee-eater does, in fact, eat bees but they are only one of many species of insects that this small, colorful bird eats. These birds will perch on a branch or blade of grass waiting for a bee or wasp to fly by. The little bee-eater makes a short, often erratic flight, catches the insect and alights on another branch or stem to eat.

Social System/Behavior: Bee-eaters (family: Meropidae) are brightly plumed birds that specialize in catching large, flying and stinging insects. Once the bird has caught the insect, it kills it by banging it against a branch. Then it squeezes out the venom and removes the stinger. Only then will it eat its prey. There are 24 species worldwide and 19 in Africa. The Serengeti-Mara is home to 5 species. The little bee-eater is the most frequently encountered.

Solitary pairs make nests in a burrow that they dig in gently sloping ground. In it, the female lays four to six eggs.

Predators: Little bee-eaters are sometimes caught by servals and falcons. Snakes will raid their nests.

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