The blue-tailed bee-eater is a bee-eater species mostly seen in open habitats close to water. It is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia where many populations are strongly migratory, and seen seasonally in many parts but breeding colonially in small areas across their range, mostly in river valleys, where they nest by tunneling into loamy sand banks.
Region
South and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs widely from the Indian subcontinent through Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina, and the Philippines, with seasonal presence across much of the range. Prefers open country near water, including river valleys, lakeshores, coastal plains, paddy fields, and wetlands. Frequently uses exposed perches such as wires, dead branches, and fence posts to launch aerial sallies. Avoids dense forest and high mountains, but readily uses man-made embankments and quarries for nesting.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Blue-tailed bee-eaters specialize in catching flying insects such as bees and wasps, often removing stingers by rubbing the prey against a perch before swallowing. They breed colonially, tunneling long nest burrows into loamy sandbanks along rivers or coastal cliffs. Seasonal movements track rains and insect swarms, making them common but highly seasonal in many areas.
Blue-tailed Bee eater, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Habitat Map
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
agile with short rapid wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Often perches in loose groups and forages cooperatively along flyways rich in aerial insects. Breeds in colonies where both sexes excavate long tunnels into sandy banks and share incubation and chick-rearing. Pairs defend the immediate nest entrance but are tolerant of close neighbors.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Gives a rolling, melodious prreee or trilled prrt in flight, often repeated in series. Calls are clear, carrying, and frequently exchanged between flock members during foraging and migration.
Plumage
Slender bee-eater with glossy green upperparts, blue rump and tail, and elongated central tail streamers. Underparts greenish with a warm rufous-washed throat and yellowish chin. Distinctive black eye-mask bordered by pale lines; wings show rufous and blue tones in flight.
Diet
Takes bees, wasps, dragonflies, beetles, butterflies, and other flying insects caught on the wing. Prey with stingers are typically subdued and wiped against a perch to remove the sting and venom sac before swallowing. Foraging is mostly from exposed perches with swift sallies; larger insects may be returned to a perch for handling.
Preferred Environment
Hunts over open wetlands, riverbanks, paddy fields, coastal flats, and open scrub near water. Commonly uses wires, poles, and bare branches as vantage points, and often forages over waterbodies where insect traffic is high.
