Tag Archives: Meropidae

Bird of the World – Blue-Cheeked Bee-eater

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What a neat video of the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. I have seen photos of them, but seeing birds in action is always special. There are some birds that just hit my fancy as I admire the Lord’s Handiwork. The Bee-eaters are one of those.

By Igor Byshnev

Matthew 6:25-34 NKJV
(25) “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
(26) Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
(27) Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
(28) “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
(29) and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
(30) Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
(31) “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
(32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
(33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
(34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Bee-eaters belong to the Meropidae – Bee-eaters Family which has 27 species.

As the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat flying insects, especially bees and wasps, which are caught in the air by sallies from an open perch. While they pursue any type of flying insect, honey bees predominate in their diet. Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps) comprise from 20% to 96% of all insects eaten, with honey bees comprising approximately one-third of the Hymenoptera. (Wikipedia with editing)

Articles Mentioning Birds From This Family:

Other Websites that have photos of this Family:

Gideon

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An Inside Job – Re-post from Creation Moments

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White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Africaddict

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Africaddict

An Inside Job

Listen

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” (Luke 6:31)

The White-fronted Bee-eater is an East African bird that lives in clans of up to fourteen members.

White-fronted bee-eaters have several problems to deal with. Since they nest on the cliffs overlooking riverbanks, youngsters need a great deal of attention until they learn to fly. Once they are on their own, the young birds are often put to work by their parents as helpers. A father may even drive away his sons’ mates in order to keep them as helpers.

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) ©WikiC

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) ©WikiC

Helpers bring food for their mother, brothers and sisters. They also clean the nest area and watch for danger. However, the most important job is guarding the nest at egg-laying time. This is necessary because a female who doesn’t have her own nest will sneak into another bee-eater’s nest and lay her eggs there. If the eggs are laid before the owner of the nest starts laying her eggs, she will simply toss out the foreign egg. If there are eggs already in the nest, she will also care for the foreign eggs. The important job of guarding the nest is usually given to a daughter. However, scientists have observed that sometimes it is the daughter, while on guard duty with the mother absent, who sneaks into the nest and adds a few eggs of her own!

In His goodness, the Creator has given bee-eaters a way of life in which helping each other is part of their nature. This kindness toward each other improves the quality of life. It can serve as an example to us that the world is not designed to favor the survival of the most selfish or aggressive.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, in a world that sees only personal loss when kindness is offered, help me to remember that You gave me all things freely. Help me to see the reward of good will in helping others, even those who cannot help me in return. Amen.

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) cropped by Bob-Nan

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) cropped by Bob-Nan

Lee’s Addition:

Bee-eaters are one of the Lord more beautiful bird creations. I always enjoy see their photos. Soon we are going to a Zoo that I understand has Bee-eaters. Needless to say I am anxious to see them. Aren’t they gorgeous?

They belong to the Meropidae – Bee-eaters Family.

Creation Moments

White-fronted Bee-eater – Wikipedia

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White-fronted Bee-eater – The Community Developer

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White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Bob-Nan

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Bob-Nan

White-fronted Bee-eater – The Community Developer ~ by ajmithra

The White-fronted Bee-eater, Merops bullockoides, is a species of bee-eater widely distributed in sub-equatorial Africa. They have a distinctive white forehead, a square tail and a bright red patch on their throat. They nest in small colonies, digging holes in cliffs or earthen banks but can usually be seen in low trees waiting for passing insects from which they hunt either by making quick hawking flights or gliding down before hoveringbriefly to catch insects.

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird, but with a distinctive black mask, white forehead, square tail and a bright red throat. The upperparts are green, with cinnamon underparts. The call is a deep squeak. White-fronted Bee-eaters are found in the vast savannah regions of sub-equatorial Africa. The habitat commonly consists of open country, often near gullies, because this is the region that their food (bees) lives.

Where there are bees, there these bee-eaters are..

  • We are the inheritors of the kingdom of God, and the working partners of God in building His kingdom…
  • But, where are we found?
  • Martha knew this that’s why she chose to sit at the feet of Jesus instead of cooking in the kitchen like Mary….
  • Look how Mary got frustrated cos of Martha!
  • She in fact would’ve turned jealous of her and that maybe the reason why she started complaining to Jesus..
  • When our live revolves around Jesus, we become new..
  • We will not be jealous and we will never complain..

Its when we start complaining, that we should know that we are in the kitchen like Mary and not sitting in His presence like Martha..

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Southern Carmine Bee-eater (Merops nubicoides) by Africaaddict

Southern Carmine Bee-eaters (Merops nubicoides) on bank by Africaaddict

White-fronted bee-eaters nest in colonies averaging 200 individuals, digging roosting and nesting holes in cliffs or banks of earth. A population of bee-eaters may range across many square kilometres of savannah, but will come to the same colony to roost, socialize, and to breed. White-fronted bee-eaters have one of the most complex family-based social systems found in birds.

Their diet is made up primarily of bees, but they also take other flying insects depending on the season and availability of prey. Two hunting methods have been observed. They either make quick hawking flights from lower branches of shrubs and trees, or glide slowly down from their perch and hover briefly to catch insects.

Colonies comprise socially monogamous, extended family groups with overlapping generations, known as “clans” which exhibit cooperative breeding. Non-breeding individuals become helpers to relatives and assist to raise their brood. In white-fronted bee-eaters, this helping behavior is particularly well developed with helpers assisting in half of all nesting attempts. These helpers may contribute to all aspects of the reproductive attempt, from digging the roosting or nesting chamber, to feeding the female, incubating and feeding the young; and have a large effect on increasing the number of young produced. Only 50% of non-breeders in a colony typically become helpers, and whether or not an individual becomes a helper and to whom it provides aid is heavily dependent on the degree of kinship involved. Non-breeders are most likely to become helpers when breeding pairs are close genetic relatives.

When faced with a choice of potential recipient nests helpers preferential help the breeding pair to who they are most closely related, suggesting that this behaviour may serve to increase the helper’s inclusive fitness …. The life style of these birds reminds us of the early church where everyone shared all that they had among themselves and lived as one large extended family..

  • When did the church forget to share their blessings?
  • We say that we are the body of Christ and that Christ is the head of the family, but, We still live either as individuals or as little groups inside the church..
  • Is that the reason why the church is not able to extend the boundaries of the eternal Kingdom?
  • How many good Samaritans are still living among us?
  • Or in other words how many Annanias and Sapphiras are still inside the church?

Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? (Ecclesiastes 4:11)

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Africaddict

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Africaddict

Female White-fronted Bee-eaters leaving their nesting burrows must avoid pursuit by unmated males who may force them to the ground and rape them. Furthermore their unwelcome attentions are preferentially against females who are laying eggs and who thus might lay the eggs of their rapist rather than their mate.

  • This reminds us of Dinah, daughter of Jacob, who went out alone to have a look around the countryside and how she was defiled and how there was bloodshed among the Hivites..
  • This reminds the church to cling to the Bridegroom rather than to tradition and custom…
  • Tradition and custom can never take us further in our pursuit to holiness, but, it is the presence of God in our lives that makes the difference..
  • Sin was not found among Adam and Eve until they disobeyed and ate the fruit..
  • Is that why Eve gave birth to Cain who turned into a murderer?
  • The duty of the bride is to stay close to the bridegroom and that is where she would have protection…

If you have lost your way, find THE WAY and cling on to Him…

It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. (Song of Solomon 3:4)

  • Jacob didn’t leave God until He blessed him…
  • Moses didn’t leave God’s presence till he got the answer from God..
  • Never leave God’s presence until something happens…

Have a blessed day!

Your’s in YESHUA,
a j mithra

Please visit us at:
Crosstree

ajmithra21

Bee-eaters are in the Meropidae Family.

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) sitting on a branch, by Keith Blomerley.

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Bee-eaters Love Company

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Southern Carmine Bee-eater (Merops nubicoides) by Africaddict

Southern Carmine Bee-eater (Merops nubicoides) by Africaddict

We have written several articles about the Bee-eaters, but they are so pretty and colorful, that they are being presented again. When the Lord created them, He did not spare on the “color pallet.” Nor did He fail to provide them with the ability to know how to remove the stinger and poison of the bees and other insects before eating them.

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:16-17 KJV)

This video tells about how the Bee-eater cooperate together in communities. Trust you will enjoy watching it.

“The bee-eaters are a group of near-passerine birds in the family Meropidae. Most species are found in Africa and Asia but others occur in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. There are 26 different species of bee-eaters.

As the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat flying insects, especially bees and wasps, which are caught in the air by sallies from an open perch.[1] While they pursue any type of flying insect, honey bees predominate in their diet. Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps) comprise from 20% to 96% of all insects eaten, with honey bees comprising approximately one-third of the Hymenoptera.

Carmine BeeEater by Marc at Africaddict

Carmine BeeEater (Merops nubicus or nubicoides) by Marc at Africaddict

Before eating its meal, a bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting and rubbing the insect on a hard surface. During this process, pressure is applied to the insect thereby extracting most of the venom.[1] Notably, the birds only catch prey that are on the wing and ignore flying insects once they land.

Bee-eaters are gregarious. They form colonies by nesting in burrows tunnelled into the side of sandy banks, such as those that have collapsed on the edges of rivers. Their eggs are white and they generally produce 2-9 eggs per clutch (depending on species). As they live in colonies, large numbers of these holes are often seen together, white streaks from their accumulated droppings accentuating the entrances to the nests. Most of the species in the family are monogamous, and both parents care for the young, sometimes with the assistance of other birds in the colony.” (From Wikipedia)

Some of the articles we have done that mention the Bee-eaters are:

White-fronted Bee-eater – The Life Guards ~ by a j mithra

Avian Worship ~ a j mithra and Lee

Ian added the Rainbow Bee-eater to his album in his Spotted Harrier newsletter.

Also see his (Ian Montgomery’s) whole album of Bee-eater photos at – Family: Meropidae

European Bee-eaters are in Birds of the Bible – Johannesburg, South Africa

Mentioned in Birds of the Bible – Names of Birds

The Bee-eaters are in the Coraciiformes Order which included the Roller, Kingfisher, Todie, Motmot Families. The Meropidae Family is the one that contains the 26 Bee-eater species.

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti) by Nikhil Devasar

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti) by Nikhil Devasar

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