Bird song: Bee-eater

The European Bee-Eater is another of our exotic summer visitors, though not as shy as the Golden Oriole. Every day from June-September, flocks of Bee-Eaters fly high above the valley, their fluting calls of ‘prroop prroop’ are easily identifiable. They are from the same brilliantly-patterned family as Kingfishers, Rollers and Hoopoes, and do eat bees and wasps in flight. Apparently they wipe away the sting before swallowing.

[photo: en.wikipedia.org]

They nest by burrowing into sandy banks, some summers we catch a sight of them flying in and out of small burrows in a sandy bank way over the other side of the valley. Only visible with binoculars.

We have in the past confused them with Rollers. To be clear, Bee-Eaters have rusty red-brown backs, a yellow throat, and greeny-blue wings and underside.

[photo: ngm.nationalgeographic.com]

To watch a video and listen to Bee-eaters, click here.
Read this wonderful article in National Geographic about the European Bee-eater.

5 to remember
un abejaruco europo – a European bee-eater
exótico/a – exotic
cada día – every day
ondulando/a – fluting
el reclamo – call of bird

Listen to the song of these other birds we see in our Spanish valley:-
Greenfinch
Short-Toed Eagle
Swallow

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Do you recognize the song of the Bee-Eater? #Birds in #Spain via @Spanish_Valley http://wp.me/p3dYp6-1eh

9 thoughts on “Bird song: Bee-eater”

Wendy Kate December 31, 2014 at 8:46 am

We get very excited when we see them too! Happy New Year to you, Sandra x

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

sandradan1 Post authorJanuary 1, 2015 at 12:08 pm

Happy New Year! SD

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

Sharon Bonin-Pratt December 31, 2014 at 4:33 pm

Could easily be mistaken for a fairy!

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

sandradan1 Post authorJanuary 1, 2015 at 12:08 pm

Yes! Happy New Year Shari. SD

LikeLike

Reply ↓
1. Sharon Bonin-Pratt January 1, 2015 at 3:30 pm
  
  Happy New Year to you as well, Sandra. Hoping to get back into blogging more often – meaning writing my own posts and reading, responding to others. But realistically, I’m mired in something I have to take care of, and coupled with computer problems (didn’t work for weeks at a time) – just had to let some things go for a bit.
  Let me wish you much success in your writing. You’re working on a sequel to Rose Haldane’s story, aren’t you? Best wishes on that.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
2. sandradan1 Post authorJanuary 2, 2015 at 5:29 pm
  
  Yes 2015 will be the year of ‘Connectedness’. I’m having a break over the holidays too, my internet has been down so an enforced break! SD
  
  LikeLike