Blue cheeked bee eater

Introduction: Blue-cheeked bee-eaters (Merops persicus) prefer desert-edged habitats which include breeding in sandy and gravelly type waste grounds. They can also be seen in open lake shores with papyrus and reeds, coastal plains and wooded swamps. These bee-eaters are seldom far from water.

Distribution: Common in the Caprivi and other northern and central areas including Etosha, Epupa Falls and Windhoek.

Diet: Bees and wasps, dragonflies, ants, water scorpions, grasshoppers, locusts, moths, butterflies and beetles.

Description: Often confused with the Madagascar bee-eater which has an olive-green body and not blue-green. There is a broad and conspicuous pale blue cheek stripe, the obvious main distinguishing feature, hence the name.

Breeding: This species is a palearctic breeding migrant.

Size: 26cm. Tail streamers project a further 55mm.

Weight: 50g.