Meropidae is the bee-eater family of insectivorous birds, order Coraciiformes, comprising three genera and thirty one species. Bee-eaters occur mainly in Africa and Asia, with some species also found in southern Europe, Australia and New Guinea. The family is marked by richly colored, usually predominantly green plumage similar between males and females, slender bodies, elongated central tail feathers, and long down-turned bills. Bee-eaters feed on flying insects, especially bees and wasps caught on the wing from an open perch, and remove the stingers by repeatedly striking and rubbing the prey against a hard surface before eating it.
Facts
Classification
Living or Extinct Taxonomic Rank Connections
Parent Taxon Of
Source European Bee-eater (Wikidata)
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Africa, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Asia, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Australia, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Europe, found in there.
Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ183147, descriptionView the Source 2. Wikipedia: Bee-eater
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
The bee-eaters are a group of birds in the family Meropidae, containing three genera and thirty-one species.
Wikidata: Meropidae
Wikidata Q183147, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source European Bee-eater (Wikidata)
WikidataParent Taxon Of: European Bee-eater, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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