Blue-bearded Bee-eater

Nyctyornis athertoni

Meet the Blue-beared Bee-eater. And then say its name three times fast.

This bright bird is the largest of the Bee-Eaters, a family known for their consumption of... well... eating bees. In order to snack on their favorite prey, the Blue-beared Bee-eater harasses the nest until a swarm of guard bees shows up. As the bees pursue the bird, the bird feasts!

Blue-bearded Bee-eaters (man, that is even a marathon to type) are found in the forests of South Asia. They are named for the long feathers on their throat that puff out and look rather beard-like. These feathers also happen to be blue. Blue-bearded.

Blue-bearded Bee-eaters are common throughout their range, and have a rather large range at that. They are not currently at any risk.

IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : South Asia

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Coraciiformes
Family : Meropidae -- Genus : Nyctyornis -- Species : N. athertoni

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