Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Elegant, slender bird of open country, frequently seen in flight or perched on exposed snags or telephone wires. Adult green overall, with blue tail, thin black mask, and rufous throat; bright rufous underwings visible in flight. Juvenile similar but paler, with tannish throat and shorter tail, lacking the adult's elongated central tail feathers. Flying bird has distinctive shape, with broad, sharply pointed wings, long tail, and long bill. Nests colonially in sandbanks. Voice a sweet, clipped “cheer-it,” sometimes given in series.

In Sri Lanka, the Blue-tailed Bee-eater primarily inhabits open areas near water, particularly coastal sand dunes in the eastern part of the island, with notable breeding sites found around Oluvil Harbor in the Ampara district; they can be seen in most national parks and bird sanctuaries during migration, often roosting communally in trees near water sources like marshes and river valleys.

In Sri Lanka, the Blue-tailed Bee-eater primarily feeds on flying insects, particularly bees, wasps, and hornets, which they catch in mid-air while perched on open branches; their diet may also include dragonflies, with the birds often seen skillfully removing the stings from their prey before consuming them.