BIRD #36 OF 45

Rainbow Bee-eater

The Rainbow Bee-eater is one of Australia’s most colourful birds. Agile and graceful in flight, it catches insects on the wing, especially bees and wasps.

You’ll often spot them perched on an exposed branch before darting through the air in pursuit of flying insects.

  • HABITAT

    Woodland, grassland, open forest, coastal dunes

  • CONSERVATION STATUS

    Least Concern (LC)

  • LOCATION

    All states and territories

  • HOW TO SPOT IT

    🌈 Bright green body with blue cheeks and a golden-orange throat
    🖤 Black eye stripe with a long, curved black bill
    🪶 Two long tail streamers extending beyond the tail
    🪰 Often seen making graceful aerial flights to catch insects

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    After catching a bee or wasp, Rainbow Bee-eaters rub it against a branch to remove the sting before swallowing it whole.