Meropidae

Meropidae, commonly known as bee-eaters, is a family of small- to medium-sized passerine birds in the order Coraciiformes. They are slender birds with long pointed wings and a curved bill, and many species are brightly colored, often with greens, blues, yellows and chestnut. The largest genus is Merops, and the family comprises roughly 25–30 species across several genera. Bee-eaters have a wide distribution, occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, southern and eastern Asia, and parts of Australia and Europe. For example, the European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) breeds in southern Europe and northern Africa and winters in sub-Saharan Africa, while the rainbow bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is widespread in Australia and adjacent regions.

Bee-eaters are diurnal insectivores that catch flying insects on the wing, with a preference for bees and wasps but also taking ants, flies and beetles. They often forage in small groups from perches and may join mixed-species foraging flocks. To avoid stings, they typically remove the stings from prey by rubbing the insect on a hard surface before swallowing.

Breeding involves monogamous pairs that may nest in colonies. They excavate long horizontal tunnels in vertical sand banks or termite mounds, sometimes at multiple sites in a colony. Clutch size ranges from two to seven eggs; both parents incubate and feed the nestlings, which fledge after a few weeks.

Conservation status varies locally, but most species are of least concern; population trends are affected by habitat loss and pesticide use in some regions.