Rainbow Bee-Eater

The Rainbow Bee-Eater (Merops ornatus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. In the summer, most of southern Australia, excluding Tasmania, can be found with Rainbow Bee-eaters in forested areas. During the winter, they go northward into northern Australia, New Guinea, and a few of Indonesia's southern islands. A vagrant has been recorded on Miyako Island, Japan.

The brightly colored Rainbow Bee-eaters grow to be 23–28 cm long, not including the expanded tail feathers and weigh 20–33 g. Green makes up the upper back and wings, while vivid blue makes up the lower back and under tail coverts. The undersides of the wings and the primary flight feathers are rufous to copper with green borders and black tips, while the tail is black to deep violet. The two central tail feathers of the Rainbow Bee-eater are longer than the other feathers and are longer on males than females. Its stomach, breast, and throat are all pale yellow-orange in color, and its gorget is black with a black stripe that is edged with white. It has a pale yellow-orange throat, stomach, and breasts. It also has a black crescent-shaped gorget and a black stripe that runs through its bright red eye and is edged with blue. Their syndactylous feet are tiny (i.e., with toes partly united). The juvenile's tail streamers and neck bands are absent, and its crown is greener.