A sweet little African Bird. This is a "Little Bee Eater". This was one of the smaller birds we saw on a recent trip to Kenya. This is a very common bee-eater and a familiar and conspicuous bird in much of Kenya.

Migration is limited to seasonal movements depending on rainfall patterns. This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly colored, slender bird. It reaches a length of only about 6 inches, which makes it the smallest African bee-eater. Just as the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. Before eating its meal, a bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. Smart, huh?

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Based on derivation from a photo by Gill Merritt. Permission given for full unrestricted use as an artwork reference.