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Chestnut-headed Bee-eater: Prelude to breeding

on 27th February 2009

“The birds, I guess, were in the stage of courtship, and at the same time, looking for location to burrow. The threesome puzzled me a bit. Perhaps they were young birds, two males, trying to impress a female.

“Alone, I just couldn’t tell if it was a male or a female… When it comes to courtship, and perhaps fighting to win the opposite sex, plenty of actions can be seen. This is when the birds become most charismatic. The birds also become oblivious to your presence, unless you are real, real close!

“There was actually another bird watching and ready to join in the action of these two birds, but I have cropped it out. Now this is love at first bite!”

Adrian Lim
Malaysia
6th January 2009

Note:
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti) nest alone or in groups of six to eight pairs. Colonies of hundreds of nests have also been located.

Some species of bee-eaters, especially those that breed in colonies, have complex social relations. A colony may include from 15 to 25 families, with members of each family feeding, roosting and breeding cooperatively. Here, non-breeding males of a family help to feed the young of the most closely related breeding pair.

However, in Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, nest helper have not been detected (Fry & Fry, 1992).

References;
1.
Fry, C.H. & K. Fry, 1992. Kingfishers, bee-eaters and rollers. New Jersey, Princeton University Press. 324 pp.
2. Gill, F. B., 2007. Ornithology. W. H. Freeman & Co., New York.

This post is a cooperative effort between NaturePixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

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