BREEDING OF RAINBOW BEE-EATERS IN SOUTHERN VICTORIA
| Posted: |
11/08/2021 |
| Author(s): |
Alan Lill |
Rainbow Bee-eaters
Merops ornatus studied over a six-year period in southern Victoria excavated
nesting burrows in creek banks and nearby flat or sloping terrain; sites, but not burrows, were commonly
used in more than one season. Nesting dispersion varied from solitary to loosely clustered.
Egg-laying commenced in early November and hatching and fledging peaked in December and
January, respectively. Mean clutch size was 4.5 and the incubation and nestling periods averaged 25
and 28 days, respectively. Mean egg success was 40 per cent. Nesting mortality was mainly due to
hatching failure, heavy precipitation and disease or malnutrition; only 12 per cent was caused by
predators, mainly the exotic Red Fox. The results are compared with the limited breeding data available
for other locations and bee-eater species.
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