The first European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) will soon be seen again. Then these colorful birds will demonstrate their flying acrobatics a few meters away. With their high, distinctive call, their brilliant, exotic colors and their sociability, they are wonderful to observe and very nice to photograph. Like all Meropidae, the European Bee-eater is characterized by its colorful plumage, which has earned the species the name “golden bee-eater” in some parts of its range.
This Bee-eater species (Meropidae) has a breeding distribution extending from Portugal in the west, east to Mongolia and western China, and from Denmark in the north to North Africa in the south. The European Bee-eater spends the winter mainly in central, western and southern Africa. The large breeding range and scattered migratory routes mean that this species occurs at least part of the year over large areas of Europe, Asia and Africa.
The European Bee-eater is dependent on specific ecological conditions, but also has a high degree of adaptability to cope with changing environmental conditions. Not least due to the high mobility within the migratory route, the species is not choosy in its choice of feeding and breeding sites and can take advantage of attractive site conditions. This is why it appears remarkably quickly in newly developed sand pits – especially along major rivers.
This enables the species to quickly colonize new habitats. This behavior is believed to be an adaptation to its native breeding habitat. This will probably have been along river landscapes, where the old breeding tubes from previous years can be destroyed by floods in spring. Only the ability to quickly adapt to changing local conditions allows species to exist in such volatile breeding habitats. A similar example is the Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), which is also native to this type of habitat or can become native again.
In addition, this way of life has made it possible for the European Bee-eater to benefit from climatic changes and to quickly expand its breeding area far north in parallel with the warmer summers. The European Bee-eater is certainly considered to be a beneficiary of climate change, as within just a few decades it has successfully colonized new breeding areas on the edge of its northern range.
The species lives socially in remarkably stable groups all year round and requires certain ecological conditions. The European Bee-eater is a specialized insectivore that specializes in flying insects as food for itself and its offspring. To do this he uses active hunting with acrobatic moves. For the breeding holes it digs itself, it needs steep walls with a consistency that is firm enough for the holes to last for at least one breeding season, but is still soft enough to be workable by the birds.
European Bee-eaters are certainly one of the most sought-after photographic objects among the bird species found in Germany. Although there are now more and more settlements in the middle of Germany, such as in Saxony-Anhalt or in the Palatinate, not to mention the Kaiserstuhl, the breeding places are rightly secret in order not to endanger the low population numbers. You don’t necessarily have to go to the Majete Game Reserve in Malawi near the Lengwe National Park on the wide, fast-flowing Shire River. European Bee-eater photography is also very possible in the southern and southeastern countries of Europe. Bulgaria is ideal for this type of bird photography.
As you can see in the gallery of a bird-trip to Bulgaria, a great photo experience with beautiful nature memories and sophisticated photography. That makes it more than worthwhile to go to Bulgaria. A great country for nature lovers. It’s also a perfect destination for bird photographers.
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