29/08/2026
A little splash of colour from Newcastle 🌈🐦
The Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is one of Australia’s most striking little birds, with that incredible mix of green, blue, orange and yellow.
Despite the name, bees aren’t their only target. They’re aerial hunters, launching from a perch to catch bees, wasps, dragonflies, beetles and other flying insects before returning to their perch. They even beat bees and wasps against the perch to remove the sting and venom glands before eating them.
They’re also migratory, with many birds from southern Australia travelling north during winter before returning for the warmer months. They nest by digging tunnels into sandy banks, sometimes forming loose colonies.
A pretty special bird to have around Newcastle.
📷 Sony A7R III
🔭 Sony 200–600mm G OSS
⚡ 1/800s | f/6.3 | ISO 125
