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A photo of a Blue-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis athertoni)
Blue-bearded Bee-eater

Blue-bearded Bee-eater

Nyctyornis athertoni

The blue-bearded bee-eater (Nyctyornis athertoni) is a species of bee-eater found in much of the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. This bee-eater is found in forest clearings. It is found mainly in the Malayan region but extends west into peninsular India. The blue feathers of its throat are elongated and often fluffed giving it its name. They have a loud call but are not as gregarious or active as the smaller bee-eaters, and their square ended tail lacks the typical "wires" made up of the shafts of the longer central tail feathers found in many other bee-eaters. This is probably the largest species of the bee-eater family. Adults measure 31 to 35 cm in length and weigh 70 to 93 g. This species has a large sickle shaped bill and the square ended tail lacks the "wires" that are typical of smaller bee-eaters. The bird is grass green with a turquoise forehead, face and chin. The feathers of the throat are elongated giving it a bearded appearance when they are fluffed out. The belly is yellowish to olive with streaks of green or blue. The peninsular Indian populations are said to be paler green than the northeast Indian populations. Although males and females appear similar, the blue throat feathers of the male show higher ultraviolet reflectivity than those of the female.
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Blue-bearded Bee-eaters on Birda

Photos

Sightings

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Ian Hillery
Sunday 07 May 2023 - 9:06am
Thailand
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Ian Hillery
Saturday 06 May 2023 - 8:23am
Thailand
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Lakshmi Bharadwaj
Saturday 04 Mar 2023 - 12:59pm
India
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Nichelle Eutsler
Thursday 29 Dec 2022 - 9:11am
China
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