'Little
Bee-eater'
Bee-eaters
are colourful slender birds with long curved bills and pointed wings.
There are 26 different species of bee-eaters, all typical birds of the
warm regions. A single species occurs in Europe, the European
Bee-eater. But the species that is depicted in the model is
the
Little Bee-eater which is resident in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is
the smallest African bee-eater. Sexes are alike.
The diet of
all
bee-eaters consists mostly of bees and other insects which are caught
in flight or by sorties from an exposed perch where the
bee-eater
watches for prey. The stings of the stinging bees are removed
to
a branch before the bees are swallowed. But bee-eaters are also fairly
immune to bee stings. Because of their preference for bees they are
certainly not popular with beekeepers. The positive side is that they
also eat insects such as wasps and Hornets which are harmful to the bee
population. Also they feed on grasshoppers, mainly in Africa.
Most
bee-eaters are social birds, living in large groups and
nesting in
colonies. The nests are burrows dug into the ground, either into the
sides of earth cliffs and river banks or directly into level
ground.
Family groups of bee-eaters like to sit together on a
branch. Pairs sitting together are often so close together that they
touch. Groups may roost together in a row in such a fashion as well.
The habit to sit so close against each other undoubtedly helps to keep
warm during cold nights. In the model, there are three
perching side by
side, but you can also make six or more.
This is a
challenging model to make for there is quite a lot of precise cutting
to be done. But the assembling process
is fun and rewarding, and every part fits perfectly.
I hope
you will enjoy making this model!
Johan Scherft
This
model is available for 5 euro.
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