View source for Blue-tailed bee-eater

{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus) Yala 2.jpg
| image2_caption = In [[Yala National Park]], [[Sri Lanka]]
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Merops philippinus'' |volume=2016 |article-number=e.T22683750A92998513 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22683750A92998513.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
| taxon = Merops philippinus
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1767
| synonyms = ''M. javanicus'' {{small|Horsfield, 1821}}
}}
[[File:সুই চোরা.jpg|thumb|Blue-tailed Bee eater, [[Dhaka|Dhaka, Bangladesh]]]]
The '''blue-tailed bee-eater''' ('''''Merops philippinus''''') is a [[bee-eater]] species mostly seen in open habitats close to water. It is widely distributed across [[South Asia|South]] and [[Southeast Asia]] where many populations are strongly [[bird migration|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.

== Description ==
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green; its face has a narrow blue patch with a black eye stripe, and a yellow and brown throat; the tail is blue and the beak is black. The three outer toes are united around their bases. It can reach a length of 23–26&nbsp;cm, including the two elongated central tail feathers which can be just two inches more than the remaining ten feathers.<ref name=":1">{{cite book|author=Whistler, Hugh|url=https://archive.org/details/popularhandbooko033226mbp/page/n346/mode/1up/|title=Popular Handbook of Indian Birds|publisher=Gurney and Jackson|year=1949|edition=4|place=London|page=297}}</ref> Sexes are alike. This species is usually found near water and like other bee-eaters it predominantly eats flying [[insect]]s, especially [[bee]]s (as large as the ''[[Carpenter bee|Xylocopa]]'' sp.<ref>{{cite book|author=Mason, C.W.|url=https://archive.org/details/foodofbirdsinind00masorich/page/164/mode/1up|title=The Food of Birds in India|publisher=Agricultural Research Institute|year=1911|editor=Maxwell-Lefroy, H.|place=Pusa|pages=164–165}}</ref>), [[wasp]]s and [[hornet]]s, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. They may also forage in flight over estuaries, backwaters and even over the sea but not far from the coast.<ref>{{cite book|author=Dresser, H.E.|url=https://archive.org/details/monographmeropi00dres/page/60/mode/1up/|title=A monograph of the Meropidae, or the family of bee-eaters|year=1886|place=London|pages=55–61}}</ref> This species probably takes bees and [[dragonfly|dragonflies]] in roughly equal numbers. The insects that are caught are beaten on the perch to kill them and break the exoskeleton. This habit is seen in many other members of the order [[Coraciiformes]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book|author1=Ali, Salim|title=Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Volume 4.|author2=Ripley, S. Dillon|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1983|edition=2|place=Delhi|pages=106–108}}</ref> They call mainly in flight with a rolling chirping whistling ''{{Not a typo|teerp}}''.<ref name=":1" />

The only confusable species within its range is the [[blue-cheeked bee-eater]] which however tends to be found in drier areas. The blue-tailed differs in having the rump and tail blue rather than green and black. The undertail feathers are bluish rather than green in the blue-cheeked. The blue cheek patch is much smaller while the chestnut on the throat and breast darker and covering a larger area.<ref name=":0" />

They breed in April to May in India nesting [[Bird colony|colonially]] with closely placed nest holes in a vertical mudbank or even burrowing into gently sloping land. They tend to choose sandy and sandy clay loams but avoid heavier clay loams.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Yuan|first1=Hsiao-Wei|last2=Wang|first2=Ming-Kuang|last3=Chang|first3=Wen-Lian|last4=Wang|first4=Lee-Ping|last5=Chen|first5=Yue-Min|last6=Chiou|first6=Chyi-Rong|date=2006|title=Soil composition affects the nesting behavior of blue-tailed bee-eaters (Merops philippinus) on Kinmen Island|journal=Ecological Research|language=en|volume=21|issue=4|pages=510–512|doi=10.1007/s11284-006-0183-9|bibcode=2006EcoR...21..510Y |s2cid=24574485|issn=0912-3814|url=http://ntur.lib.ntu.edu.tw//handle/246246/175954 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> They also prefer clear mud banks without any vegetation cover.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2009.03.013|title=Nest site restoration increases the breeding density of blue-tailed bee-eaters|year=2009|last1=Wang|first1=Yi-Ping|last2=Siefferman|first2=Lynn|last3=Wang|first3=Yuan-Jyun|last4=Ding|first4=Tzung-Su|last5=Chiou|first5=Chyi-Rong|last6=Shieh|first6=Bao-Sen|last7=Hsu|first7=Fu-Shung|last8=Yuan|first8=Hsiao-Wei|journal=Biological Conservation|volume=142|issue=8|pages=1748–1753|bibcode=2009BCons.142.1748W }}</ref> In Sri Lanka, they have been noted to breed in artificial sand dunes created by dredging of sea sand.<ref name=sl>{{cite journal| journal= Wildlanka|volume=5 |issue=1| pages=11–16|year= 2017| title= Discovery of a large nesting colony of the blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus) in Oluvil, Amparad| author1=Hewavithana, K.| author2=Pieris, A.L.| author3=Peries, T.N.| author4=Wijesinghe, M.R.}}</ref> The nest tunnel can run nearly 2 metres deep. About 5 to 7 near spherical eggs are laid. Both the male and the female take care of the eggs. The parents guard the nest to prevent intraspecific brood parasitism and extra pair copulation. These birds also feed and roost communally.<ref name=":0" /> One or two helpers may join the breeding pair after incubation begins.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1676/0043-5643(2002)114[0275:SABBOB]2.0.CO;2|issn=0043-5643|year=2002|volume=114|page=275|title=Social and Breeding Biology of Bee-Eaters in Thailand|last1=Burt|first1=D. Brent|journal=The Wilson Bulletin|issue=2|s2cid=86185603 }}</ref> Although males and females appear similar to the human eye, males tend to have longer central tail feather extensions and UV reflectance studies demonstrate that healthy males had darker chestnut throats and brighter green body plumage while females showed brighter blue rumps and yellow chins.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1093/condor/109.3.577|title=Sexual Dichromatism, Dimorphism, and Condition-Dependent Coloration in Blue-Tailed Bee-Eaters|year=2007|last1=Siefferman|first1=Lynn|last2=Wang|first2=Yuan-Jyun|last3=Wang|first3=Yi-Ping|last4=Yuan|first4=Hsiao-Wei|journal=The Condor|volume=109|issue=3|pages=577–584|doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Taxonomy and systematics ==
This species has sometimes been considered to be [[conspecific]] with the [[blue-cheeked bee-eater]] which is a close sister taxon, the two forming a clade with the Madagascan [[olive bee-eater]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Marks|first1=Ben D.|last2=Weckstein|first2=Jason D.|last3=Moyle|first3=Robert G.|year=2007|title=Molecular phylogenetics of the bee-eaters (Aves: Meropidae) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution| volume=45|issue=1|pages=23–32|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.004|pmid=17716922|bibcode=2007MolPE..45...23M }}</ref> In the past the species has been treated variously as ''M. persicus javanicus'', ''M. superciliosus javanicus'', and ''M. superciliosus philippinus''.<ref name=peters />

== Ecological interactions ==
Based on the presence of spores of ''[[Nosema ceranae]]'' in the droppings of blue-tailed bee-eaters, it has been suggested that they may be capable of distributing the parasite to bees across a wide geographic range.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1080/00218839.2017.1306375|title=Any role for the dissemination of Nosema spores by the blue-tailed bee-eater Merops philippinus?|year=2017|last1=Valera|first1=Francisco|last2=Gómez-Moracho|first2=Tamara|last3=Yuan|first3=Hsiao-Wei|last4=Muñoz|first4=Irene|last5=de la Rúa|first5=Pilar|last6=Martín-Hernández|first6=Raquel|last7=Chen|first7=Ying-Lan|last8=Higes|first8=Mariano|journal=Journal of Apicultural Research|volume=56|issue=3|pages=262–269|bibcode=2017JApiR..56..262V |s2cid=90089790}}</ref> A species of feather louse, ''[[Brueelia]] superciliosa'' has been described from hosts of this species in Thailand.<ref>{{cite journal|jstor=25084186 |title=The Brueelia (Mallophaga: Philopteridae) of the Meropidae (Aves: Coraciiformes) |last1=Williams |first1=N. Sandra |journal=Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society |year=1981 |volume=54 |issue=3 |pages=510–518 }}</ref>

== Distribution and movements ==
The species has a patchy breeding distribution across India, Myanmar, and parts of Southeast Asia.<ref name=peters>{{cite book| url= https://archive.org/details/checklistofbirds51945pete/page/235/mode/1up/|page=235|author=Peters, James Lee| year=1945| publisher=Harvard University Press|title=Check-list of birds of the World. Volume 5}}</ref> In India they are known to breed in several of the river valleys including those of the Godavari, Kaveri, Tunga Badra and Krishna rivers.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Neelakantan, K. K. |year=1948| title=On the breeding of the Blue-tailed Bee-eater (''Merops superciliosus javanicus'') in Rajahmundri, East Godavari district|journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society|volume=47|pages= 741–742 |url= https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48201899}}</ref> They also nest in the eastern parts of Sri Lanka.<ref>{{cite journal| author=Norris, C. E. |year=1963| title=The Bluetailed Bee-eater ''Merops philippinus'' Linnaeus, nesting in Ceylon| journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society| volume=60| page= 259 |url= https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48053410 }}</ref><ref name=sl />

Blue-tailed bee-eaters are seasonal in many parts of their range and are known to migrate diurnally ''en masse'' at some places like Tanjung Tuan (W. Malaysia) and Promsri Hill<ref>{{cite journal|title=Mass northbound migration of Blue-tailed Merops philippinus and Blue-throated M. viridis Bee-eaters in southern Thailand, spring 2007–2008| author1=DeCandido, Robert|author2=Nualsri, Chukiat| author3=Allen, Deborah| journal= Forktail| volume=26| year=2010| pages=42–48|url=https://www.orientalbirdclub.org/s/Candido-bee-eaters.pdf}}</ref> (southern Thailand).<ref>{{cite journal|title=Merops Migration at Tanjung Tuan, Malaysia: An Important Spring Bee-eater Migration Watchsite in South-east Asia|first1=Robert |last1=DeCandido| first2=Deborah| last2= Allen| first3= Reuven |last3=Yosef| journal=J. Yamashina Inst. Ornithol.|volume= 36|pages= 15–21| year= 2004|doi=10.3312/jyio.36.15 | url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jyio2003/36/1/36_1_15/_pdf |doi-access=free}}</ref> They are winter visitors in parts of Malaysia and peninsular India.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology| year=2013| volume=29| pages=219–223| title=Seasonal occurrence, migrations and habitat relationships of blue-tailed and blue-throated bee-eaters Merops philippinus and M. viridis in Peninsular Malaysia| author=Nisbet, I.C.T.|url=https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/app/uploads/2017/06/s29rbz219-223.pdf }}</ref> The non-breeding ranges of the [[blue-cheeked bee-eater]] and blue-tailed overlap in some parts of Gujarat<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48068858| author-link=Raol Shri Dharmakumarsinhji|author=Dharmakumarsinhji, K. S.|year=1958 |title=Bluetailed Bee-eater ''Merops philippinus'' Linnaeus in western Saurashtra| journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society|volume=55|pages= 351–352 }}</ref> and western peninsular India.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Gosavi, P.|author2= Mannar, H.|author3= Sumesh, P. B.| author4= Vinay, K. L.| author5= Saleem, M.| year= 2019| title= Status of Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus in south-western India| journal=Indian Birds| volume=15| issue= 4 |pages=  117–119 |url= https://indianbirds.in/pdfs/IB_15_4_GosaviETAL_BluecheekedBeeeater.pdf}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
MIC 4040-Edit.jpg|''Merops philippinus'' (Blue-tailed Bee-eater) photographed in [[Cavite]], [[Philippines]]
Blue-tailed Bee-Eaters with Dragonfly.jpg|At the [[Powai Lake]], [[India]]
SL Bundala NP asv2020-01 img08.jpg|In the [[Bundala National Park]], [[Sri Lanka]]
Blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus) Yala.jpg|In the [[Yala National Park]], [[Sri Lanka]]
Blue-tailed bee-eater range migration.gif|Blue-tailed bee-eater range migration
</gallery>
[[File:Merops philippinus habitat map.png|thumb|Habitat Map]]

== Status ==
The Blue-tailed bee-eater is listed as a species of [[least concern]] by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]].<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />
{{Clear}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last1=Fry |first1=C. Hilary |last2=Fry |first2=Kathie |last3=Harris |first3=Alan |year=1999 |title=Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hFSdA6xYqRMC |series=Helm identification guides |location=London |publisher=Christopher Helm Publishers |isbn=978-0-7136-5206-2 |oclc=42136069}}
* {{Cite magazine |last=Kasambe |first=R. |date=April 2004 |title=Nesting of Blue Tailed Bee-eaters in Amravati District of Maharashtra |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279757158 |format=PDF |journal=[[Newsletter for Birdwatchers]] |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=21–22}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Phillips |first=W. W. A. |date=1956 |title=Prolonged Stay of the Blue-tailed Bee-eater (''Merops philippinus philippinus'') in Eastern Ceylon |journal=Spolia Zeylanica |volume=28 |issue=1 |page=109}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Merops philippinus}}
* {{Wikispecies inline|Merops philippinus}}

{{Bee-eaters}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q31884}}

[[Category:Meropidae|blue-tailed bee-eater]]
[[Category:Birds of Indomalaya]]
[[Category:Birds of the Philippines]]
[[Category:Birds of New Guinea]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1767|blue-tailed bee-eater]]
[[Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]