Their
Care and Breeding
by Martin Vince, Riverbanks Zoo
These are large headed, long billed and very beautiful
birds. In most of the 24 species the plumage is green with shades
of red, yellow, black, blue or rufous. Tails are normally long with
elongated central feathers as in the white-throated Merops albicollis (photo) and carmine Merops nubicus. Facial patterns are distinctive,
with many species sporting a black mask (lores and ear-coverts) that
makes the bill seem greater and more formidable. Species smaller than
35g tend to be sedentary and not very gregarious; species larger than
35g tend to be migratory and more or less highly colonial. (Fry;
Keith; Urban 1988).
Bee eaters are insectivorous, eating mainly flying insects. The carmine
bee eater also eats grasshoppers, locusts and rarely small fish. And
it will even ride on the backs of animals, such as ostriches, antelope,
elephants and warthogs, waiting to catch any insects that are flushed
out. Carmine bee eaters are strongly attracted to bush fires preying
upon fleeing insects. (Fry
1984). The white-throated bee eater Merops albicollis,
is thought to be the only member of Meropidae to eat vegetable matter.
In the rainforests of West Africa, squirrels feed on oil-palm nuts Elaeis guineensis. The bee eaters below, catch and eat the
epicarp of the fruit dropped by the squirrels (Fry
1964 and Pettet 1969) The red-throated Merops bullocki is the third aviculturally familiar bee eater species. 2-10 birds
per thousand have golden yellow throats instead of red. (Fry
1984). No specimens of this variant appear to be in captivity.
Most bee eaters avoid heavy forest, preferring lightly wooded or open
country. They are normally found near rivers, swamps, lakes, coastal
mangroves and flooded rice fields where food is abundant. Bee eaters
typically perch on fences, telegraph wires and branches, waiting to
chase virtually any airbourne insect upto 300' (91m) away. All species
can eat dangerous insects such as bees, wasps and hornets, which are
rendered harmless before being eaten: the tail (and sting) of the
insect is rubbed against the perch to expresses the venom and often
the sting itself.
Local, seasonal movements of bee eaters are fairly common, and a few
species migrate many thousands of miles. The European bee eater Merops
apiaster and blue-cheeked bee eater M. superciliosus breed
in Europe and Asia, and migrate to Africa for the winter; and the
Australian bee eater M. ornatus winters in the Lesser Sunda
Islands and breeds in Australia. Most species can be found in North
Africa, with a handful in the Middle East, Asia and South East Asia.
Size
Carmine: One of the largest species at 35cm. White-throated: 20 cm,
and tail streamers 12 cm; very slender body of about 20g. Red-throated:
20-22 cm
Diet
35% insectivore diet **, 20% livefood,
10% finely chopped hard boiled egg, 5% finely sliced pinkies (1mm
thick), 15% soaked dog kibble, 15% small bird of prey meat balls.
** Insectivore diet
The insectivore diet is made of softbill pellets that are ground into
tiny pieces the size of millet seed. Manufacturers such as Marion
Zoological and ZooPreem sell small pellets that are marketed for canaries
and finches. These pellets can also be used in the insectivore diet,
and are small enough that they do not have to be ground up. To make
the pellets palatable, they should be moistened with tap water and
/ or fruit juice. Thoroughly mix the ingredients by squeezing them
together, breaking up any lumps to arrive at a fine, loose and crumbly
consistency.
Diet preparation
The insectivore diet will fill about half of the food dish. The remaining
ingredients (livefood, egg, kibble, Nebraska bird of prey meat and
sliced pinkies) lay on top of this mixture and stimulate feeding by
being clearly visible. The wet foods (pinkies, kibble and meat) adhere
to the insectivore diet to deliver better nutrition. The insectivore
diet also sticks to the insects when they are dipped in thick nectar
or honey. Dipping the insects in this way guarantees good nutrition
with every mouthful, since the insects alone are a wholly inadequate
diet.
Acclimating new arrivals
In the wild, bee eaters' nutritional requirements are met by a very
wide variety of food items, nearly all of them insects: >350 prey
taxa, red-throated bee eater; 300 taxa, European bee eater; at least
260, white-throated. (Fry;
Keith; Urban 1988). While the commercially available livefoods
(mealworms, waxworms and crickets) alone can sustain bee eaters for
weeks or months, they cannot provide a balanced diet and soon lead
to malnutrition. This often presents as vitamin A deficiency, commonly
manifesting itself in the form of eye problems. To encourage the acceptance
of artificial foods and a more balanced diet is therefore urgent and
critical for long-term health.
Bee eaters that have been in captivity for several months accept freshly killed or frozen livefoods. However, newly arrived or newly imported birds take far more readily to moving food items (giant mealworms, waxworms and 1" crickets). The livefood should be dipped in a thick nectar or honey solution and rolled in the insectivore diet -- do not suffocate the insects. Giant mealworms are better than small ones, since they are easier to dip and stick to the supplements. With the powders now sticking to the insects, the birds will receive a nutritious food with every mouthful. A taste for the artificial ingredients will eventually be developed and the birds' reliance on livefood diminished. Finely chopped or mashed hard boiled egg is also important, and eaten by most insectivores, even when newly imported. The albumen is particularly well eaten and presumably resembles favored insect larvae such as wax worms.
The
time taken to acclimate a bird will vary, but the process can be quickened
if a "teacher" bird is present. This is an established softbill
of the same or similar species that is used to the captive diet, and
can teach the newcomer by example.
Supplements and coloring agents
These can be valuable, primarily if the birds are reluctant to eat the
artificial foods. Nekton Tonic I is a supplement designed for insectivores.
It is available from Guenter Enderle Enterprises, Inc, 27 West Tarpon
Ave, Tarpon Springs, Florida 34689. Tel (813) 938 1544, FAX 938 1545.
Nekton Tonic I can be sprinkled over the diet twice a week if a bee
eater is not yet eating the full range of foods. Even when fully acclimated
and established, regular use is still beneficial. Most keepers have
found that Roxanthin does not satisfactorily preserve the red plumage
of bee eaters. However, Betatene is effective and keeps the birds in
good color. (Sheppard, C. Bronx Zoo / WCS).
Where to position the food dish
Bee eaters generally catch food on the wing, and are less willing to
use a food dish on the floor (unless the dish is on the floor of a cage
that is raised several feet above the ground). Position the food at
least 90cm above the ground, and in an open area, so the birds can feed
by hovering if they wish. Shier birds will get much of their food by
hovering, but once established, they will perch on and in the dish.
Management
Acclimated and established bee eaters are not hard to keep, and in warm
climates do very well outdoors, adoring the occasional warm shower and
the opportunity to sunbathe. In temperate climates, a heated house is
essential, since bee eaters must be protected from cold weather and
persistent rain -- they will often stand out in the rain to the point
of being saturated, sick and unable to fly. Bee eaters have relatively
long wings, and should be provided with large, fairly open aviaries.
Food dishes must be raised several feet above the ground, and positioned
in the open so the birds can feed while hovering. Bee eaters will live
with other birds, although it is preferable to give them their own aviary;
this minimizes food competition, helping the shier birds to get the
range of foods vital for good health.
Breeding
Sexing: Virtually all species, monomorphic. The red-bearded Nyctyornis
amicta is dimorphic.
Eggs: White; 2-5 in the tropics. Clutch size increases at higher latitudes,and
bee eaters in Eurasia lay up to 10 eggs.
Nest: Burrow excavated in an earthen bank (nest
bank at the Cologne Zoo)
Incubation: Usually shared by both sexes for 18-22 days.
Exhibit design at the Wildlife Conservation
Society/Bronx Zoo
The exhibit itself
is basically round; it is approximately 30' in diameter and 30' high.
The nest cliff is about 12' 6" long, 12' high and 6'-6' 8"
deep. The burrows used by the birds in 1997 ranged in height from 8'
above the exhibit floor to 12' or more (birds burrowed into the sand
on top of the cliff, which slopes upward a couple of feet). In
1998 birds dug burrows into the sand on the floor of the exhibit. In
the man-made burrows on the cliff
face, the initial 12-15" is lined with PVC pipe. The entire
area behind the cliff face is filled with sand. Rear access to the nest
tunnels is not possible in this particular exhibit due to electrical
and plumbing constraints. However, if possible, it is ideal to have
individual nest boxes at the rear of each tunnel to facilitate chick
observations and filming, as well as the detection of mice which can
be a serious nuisance in bee eater colonies. Theo Pagel and his staff
at the Cologne Zoo, check their nest boxes every week. The birds have
acclimated to the intrusion, whereas the mice have not, and tend to
be driven away.
Fry. C.H. 1964. White-throated bee-eater eating oil-palm nut fibers. Bull. Niger.Orn.Soc. 1(3),16.
Pettet, A. 1969. Feeding association of Aerops albicollis and Cinnomopteryx castaneofuscus with the squirrel Funisciurus anerythrus.Ibis 111,98-101.