Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Beautiful, dainty bee-eater with a bright reddish head and yellow throat. Dark “necktie” most noticeable when in flight overhead. Inhabits forest edge, wooded clearings, and open areas with clusters of trees; often uses exposed perches. Some populations undertake regional movements, vacating breeding grounds after the monsoons pass. Often gives bright chirrupy calls.

In Sri Lanka, the Chestnut-headed Bee-eater is typically found in open areas within forested regions, including forest edges, clearings, along riversides, and in large gardens, often near water sources; they can be spotted in both the wet and dry zones, with a particular presence in national parks like Wilpattu where they are a breeding resident species.

In Sri Lanka, the Chestnut-headed Bee-eater primarily feeds on insects like bees, wasps, ants, termites, dragonflies, butterflies, and grasshoppers, which it catches in mid-air by flying out from an exposed perch, essentially meaning its diet consists mainly of flying insects, with a focus on bees and wasps as suggested by its name