Birds found in Sedgwick, North Harcourt and surrounding districts

  • « Back to Catalog
  • Rainbow Bee-eater

  • Merops ornatus
  • Rainbow Bee-eater-image
  • A striking, colourful bird, the Rainbow Bee-eater is medium sized, with a long slim curved bill and a long tail with distinctive tail-streamers. It has a golden crown and a red eye set in a wide black stripe from the base of the bill to the ears, which is edged with a thin blue line. The throat is orange-yellow, with a broad black band separating it from a green breast. The upperparts are green, with the flight feathers coppery and black tipped. The underwings are bright copper-orange, with a black edge. The lower abdomen is blue. The tail is black, including the long tail streamers, with a blue tinge. Females have shorter, thicker tail streamers than males, but are otherwise similar. Young birds are duller and greener, lacking the black band on the chest and the long tail streamers.

  • Photos link
  • http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/viewphotos.php?c=9
  • Song link
  • http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/sounds.php?c=9&p=212
  • « Back to Catalog
  • Rainbow Bee-eater

  • Rainbow Bee-eater-image
  • A striking, colourful bird, the Rainbow Bee-eater is medium sized, with a long slim curved bill and a long tail with distinctive tail-streamers. It has a golden crown and a red eye set in a wide black stripe from the base of the bill to the ears, which is edged with a thin blue line. The throat is orange-yellow, with a broad black band separating it from a green breast. The upperparts are green, with the flight feathers coppery and black tipped. The underwings are bright copper-orange, with a black edge. The lower abdomen is blue. The tail is black, including the long tail streamers, with a blue tinge. Females have shorter, thicker tail streamers than males, but are otherwise similar. Young birds are duller and greener, lacking the black band on the chest and the long tail streamers.

  • Formerly or also known as
  • Scientific name
  • Merops ornatus
  • Former scientific name
    RAOU number
  • 329
  • Size
  • 22-25cm
  • Period in district
  • March-Sept
  • Song group
  • Song link
  • http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/sounds.php?c=9&p=212
  • Photos link
  • http://www.graemechapman.com.au/library/viewphotos.php?c=9
  • Description link
  • http://birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/rainbow-bee-eater