Swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) holding an insect in its beak. This bird is named because of its preference for eating wasps, bees and h

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Swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) holding an insect in its beak. This bird is named because of its preference for eating wasps, bees and hornets. When it catches one of these insects, it beats it repeatedly against a hard surface until the sting is no longer working. Even when it catches non-venomous prey it will perform this behaviour, before swallowing the insect head first. The breeding populations of this bird in southern Africa are believed to have originated from over-wintering migrant visitors from Europe. Photographed in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, in South Africa and Botswana.

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Size: 3124px × 4499px
Photo credit: © TONY CAMACHO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: african, animal, bee-eater, bird, botswanan, eating, feeding, food, gemsbok, hirundineus, insect, kalahari, kgalagadi, merops, national, nature, park, perched, perching, prey, south, swallow-tailed, transfrontier, wildlife, zoology