Bird song: Bee-eater

9 Replies

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]

[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]

[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”

      1. Sharon Bonin-Pratt

        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.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. sandradan1 Post author

        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

        Like

  3. Pingback: Holes | Notes on a Spanish Valley

  4. Pingback: Bird song: Greenfinch | Notes on a Spanish Valley

  5. Pingback: Bird song: Roller | Notes on a Spanish Valley

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