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Blue-throated Bee-eater: 4. Flight sequence

on 12th July 2009

Part 1 on courtship and mating; Part 2 on nest excavation and Part 3 on feeding the chicks have already been posted earlier. The current post on the continuing saga of the Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis), documented by Jason Cho, shows the flight sequence in slow motion, giving details of the flight action as the bird flies in from its perch to its nest in the ground to deliver food to the chicks.

Note the striking, colourful plumage; the long, fairly broad and pointed wings with a dark band along the trailing edge; and the tail of 12 feathers with the central pair elongated into short streamers.

The image below shows how the bird swoops down in a fast glide to snap up a yellow butterfly in its bill, causing both its wings to snap off.
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All images by Jason Cho.

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.

Other posts by YC Wee

3 Responses

  1. The kudos expressed in the Straits Times article about the BESG website published on July 11 is well deserved.

    This is by far one of the better websites, not only locally and about birds, but as an example of citizen journalism in general.

    Websites must be frequently updated. This one is. There is something new almost every day.

    They must be informative and authoritative. The people who contribute to this website certainly know what they are talking about.

    Discussions can be controversial, but decorum must be maintained. I will rate the discussions on the BESG website as more civil and relevant, and more well moderated, than even those maintained by billion-dollar media companies with an army of professional staff.

    No wonder the BESG website gathers the hits that it does.

    My humble thanks to the founder and all of you working behind the scenes for providing such an informative, educational and entertaining resource.

    Lee Chiu San

  2. Thanks Chiu San. We are fast approaching a million hits. We would not have been successful but for the army of supporters: contributors, photographers, birdwatchers and last but not least, ardent visitors.

  3. I forgot to add that this website is also very easy to use.

    Today, many commercial organisations use websites to fill the gaps in their customer service requirements.

    If you have had to navigate these mazes, many of which were put together by professional designers who are paid for their work, you will appreciate the straightforward and logical lines upon which the BESG website was built.

    My appreciation once again.

    Lee Chiu San

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