Merops leschenaulti

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Subsectio: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Euornithes
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Ornithurae
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Ordo: Coraciiformes

Familia: Meropidae
Genus: Merops
Species: Merops leschenaulti
Subspecies: M. l. andamanensis – M. l. leschenaulti – M. l. quinticolor
Name

Merops leschenaulti Vieillot, 1817
References

Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle Appliquée Aux Arts 14: 17.

Vernacular names
العربية: وروار كستنائي الرأس
български: Кафявоглав пчелояд
বাংলা: খয়রামাথা সুইচোরা
català: Abellerol cap-rogenc
čeština: Vlha hnědohlavá
Cymraeg: Gwenynysor penwinau
dansk: Rustbiæder
Deutsch: Braunkopfspint
English: Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
español: Abejaruco cabecirrufo
français: Guêpier de Leschenault
magyar: Barnafejű gyurgyalag
Bahasa Indonesia: Kirik-kirik senja
italiano: Gruccione testacastana
ភាសាខ្មែរ: ត្រដេវក្បាលត្នោតខ្ចី
മലയാളം: ചെന്തലയന്‍ വേലിത്തത്ത
Bahasa Melayu: Burung Berek-berek Senja
မြန်မာဘာသာ: ငှက်ပုစဉ်းထိုး
नेपाली: कटुसटाउके मुरलीचरा
Nederlands: Bruinkopbijeneter
norsk: Bengalbieter
polski: Żołna obrożna
پنجابی: کیسری مکھی کھانا
русский: Буроголовая щурка
svenska: Rosthuvad biätare
தமிழ்: செந்தலைப் பஞ்சுருட்டான்
ไทย: นกจาบคาหัวสีส้ม
українська: Бджолоїдка індійська
Tiếng Việt: Trảu họng vàng
中文: 黑胸蜂虎

The chestnut-headed bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti), or bay-headed bee-eater, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is a resident breeder in the Indian subcontinent and adjoining regions, ranging from India east to Southeast Asia.

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green, with blue on the rump and lower belly. Its face and throat are yellow with a black eye stripe, and the crown and nape are rich chestnut. The thin curved bill is black. Sexes are alike, but young birds are duller.

This species is 18–20 cm long; it lacks the two elongated central tail feathers possessed by most of its relatives. It is 18-20 cm

Description

Forehead, crown, nape, lower face and ear-coverts bright chestnut ; lores black, continued as a band under the eye and ear-coverts ; wing-coverts, lower back and tertiaries green, the latter tipped with bluish; rump and upper tail-coverts pale shining blue; primaries and secondaries green, rufous on the inner webs, and all tipped dusky ; central tail-feathers bluish on the outer, and green on the inner webs ; the others green, margined on the inner web with brown and all tipped dusky ; sides of face, chin and throat yellow ; below this a broad band of chestnut extending to the sides of the neck and meeting the chestnut of the upper plumage ; below this again a short distinct band of black and then an ill-defined band of yellow ; remainder of lower plumage green, tipped with blue, especially on the vent and under tail-coverts.[2]

The Javan sub-species, M. l. quinticolor, differs in having the whole space from the bill down to the black pectoral band pure yellow without any chestnut, and in having the tail blue.

Race andamanensis found in the Andamans is slightly larger than the Indian race.[3] Iris crimson ; bill black ; legs dusky black ; claws dark horn-colour.
Habits

This is a bird which breeds in sub-tropical open woodland, often near water. It is most common in highland areas. As the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch.

These bee-eaters are gregarious, nesting colonially in sandy banks. They make a relatively long tunnel in which the 5 to 6 spherical white eggs are laid. Both the male and the female take care of the eggs. These birds also feed and roost communally. The call is similar to that of the European bee-eater.

Its scientific name commemorates the French botanist Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour.
Notes

BirdLife International (2016). "Merops leschenaulti". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22683761A92999153. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22683761A92999153.en. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
Oates, E. W. 1883. Birds of British Burmah.

Rasmussen, P. C. & J. Anderton 2005. The Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Vol 1 & 2. Lynx Edicions & Smithsonian Institution.

References

Fry, C.H., Fry, K. & Harris, A. (1992) Kingfishers, Bee-eaters & Rollers. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0713680288
Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. & Inskipp, T. (2012) Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Helm Field Guides. ISBN 9781408127636
Kazmierczak, K. & van Perlo, B. (2008) A Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Pica Press. ISBN 9781408109786.

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