The Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

The Bee-eater: A Winged “Prince” with an Exotic Temperament

When the spring sun decides to get down to serious business in the Greek countryside, one specific creature steals the show. The Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) isn’t just a bird; it’s a flying rainbow that decided the Mediterranean fits it like a glove.

But behind its tropical appearance hides a skillful hunter and a tireless traveler. Its history takes us back to Greek mythology and Merops, the King of Kos, whom the gods transformed into a bird to release him from his grief. Since then, this creature has lived between two worlds: digging burrows in the soil like a “ground engineer,” while dominating the skies like a “fighter pilot.” Even Aristotle was fascinated by its peculiar habits.

Morphology: An Enviable Physique

The bee-eater possesses some of the most colorful plumage in Europe, which isn’t just for fashion—it serves vital survival purposes:

• Yellow Throat: Framed by a black gorget, it acts as a “trademark” for colony members to recognize one another.
• Turquoise-Green Breast: This color makes the bird less visible to predators looking up at it against the bright sky.
• Chestnut Back: This protects the bird when it’s on the ground, making it look like a patch of earth or a dry branch.
• The Black “Mask”: A black stripe passes through the eye. This feature (also found in other predators) reduces sun glare, allowing it to focus with precision on its prey even in intense light.

The “Forceps” and the “Rudder”

Its beak is a pair of surgical forceps. Long and decurved, it allows the bird to keep a bee at a safe distance from its face. As for the tail, the two central feathers that protrude like needles act as a rudder for acrobatic maneuvers.

Despite its tropical colors, the bee-eater changes its plumage (molting) once a year, usually in its wintering grounds in Africa. This ensures it returns in the spring with “brand new” and durable feathers for the breeding season.

The Acrobat of Olympus and the Skies

While the bee-eater loves plains and riverbanks, its presence at the foot of Mount Olympus adds an extra layer of charm to the Mountain of the Gods. On Olympus, biodiversity is so dense that the bee-eater finds an ideal “all-you-can-eat buffet” of insects.

Mount Olympus, besides being the seat of Zeus, is one of the most important crossing points for migratory birds. It is said that the ancients saw these colorful birds swooping from the ravines and believed they were messengers of the gods. Perhaps Zeus used the bee-eaters to “clear” the air of pesky insects before the councils of the gods!

Diet: Surgical Neutralization

The bee-eater is a nightmare for stinging insects. Although it eats dragonflies, cicadas, and butterflies, its specialty is bees and wasps. Its strategy is legendary:

• The Ambush: It waits patiently on a branch or on power lines (its favorite lookout post).
• The Sortie: It spots the victim from 60 meters away and catches it in mid-air.
• The “De-stinging”: It returns to the branch, hits the insect’s head against the wood to stun it, and then rubs the insect’s abdomen against the surface to discharge the stinger and the venom. Only then does it swallow its meal.

Regarding beekeepers, the relationship is… complicated. However, the bee-eater is also an ally, as it fiercely hunts hornets, which are the true “terrorists” of the hives.

Underground Cities and “Social Welfare”

Instead of nesting in trees, bee-eaters prefer the ground. They dig tunnels up to 1.5 meters long in vertical banks. To achieve this, a pair can move up to 12 kilograms of soil!!!

The most touching part is the “helper” system. Young males who haven’t found a mate don’t sit around moping; instead, they help their parents raise their younger siblings. A true family affair!

The Great Journey and the Climate “Thermometer”

Every autumn, the bee-eater bids farewell to Greece to winter in sub-Saharan Africa. It crosses the Sahara and the Mediterranean, using the Earth’s magnetic field as a GPS.

Today, the bee-eater is considered a biological indicator of climate change. Due to rising temperatures, this bird is steadily expanding North (Germany, UK), while arriving in Europe about 10 days earlier than it did 20 years ago. This “asynchrony,” however, is dangerous: if the bird arrives early but the insects haven’t emerged yet due to a late cold snap, hunger looms.

Conclusion: A Messenger Deserving Respect

The bee-eater is not just an “ornament” of the air. It is a link connecting continents and ecosystems. The threats it faces—from pesticides that wipe out its food to the destruction of its habitats—are a reminder that the balance of nature is fragile.

If we respect its habitats and reduce chemicals in our crops, the melodic “pru-pru” call will continue to echo every spring, reminding us that nature’s beauty is our most precious shared asset.