Chestnut-headed Bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti)
Order: CORACIIFORMES
Family: MEROPIDAE Bee-eaters
Scientific name: Merops leschenaulti
English name: Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
Characteristic: Size 23 cm. A slender, long-billed and long-tailed green aerial-hunting bird. Its head and neck are reddish brown; yellow on throat, with a reddish brown breast band. Belly is paler green than back.
Distribution: India, China, SE Asia, the Andamans, Java and Sumatra. In Thailand, it can be seen in all parts.
Habitat: Open forest, dipterocarp forest, secondary growth and dry evergreen forest.
Habit: Seen usually perching on exposed branches in the open ground, watching patiently for flying insect preys. On sallying after one of them, it will fly back to feed at the same perch. Nesting time is between February-June; they dig a deep tunnel in steep bank and deposit a clutch of 5-6 eggs. Eggs require 12-14 days of incubtion.
Status: A frequently-encountered resident bird.
