Races:
Merops superciliosus persicus Pallas, 1773

No Synonyms

Description

Starling-sized bird. Males and females are similar in color, females are a little smaller size and have shorter central pair of tail feathers. The general color is bright, green. A forehead at the beak basis is whitish. White color on a forehead then passes to the blue strip over the eye. Strip under an eye and the ear coverts are black. Cheeks are blue. Chin is yellow. Yellow color on a chin passes to large brown spot on a throat. Top of a head, a breast and a belly are emerald-green. Uppertail and inner secondaries are bluish, wings from above are green, the ends of primaries are brownish, underwings are buffish-brown. Tail feathers from above are green, the ends of the central extended pair are brownish. Juveniles on the first plumage is pale-brown-green. The beak of Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is a little bit weaker and is little bit longer than European Bee-eater.

Biology

Common, in places rare breeding migrant. Inhabits sandy plain and hilly deserts near lakes often, river valleys, irrigation canals. Arrives in mid-April – early May in flocks up to 20-50 birds, migration finishes at early June. Breeding in colonies of several up to six hundreds pairs in Kyzylkum. Hole for nest excavates by both partners in clay precipices or in compact sand of 130-290 cm long (at angle of 12-280) with nest chamber for 6-10 days. When strong wind, entrance of holes filled by sand, and birds clear them regularly. Clutches of 4-9 eggs in mid-May – early June. Female incubates only, male feeds her and juveniles, which fledge from mid-July. Autumn migration begins in August, most birds leave in first half of September, latest flocks recorded on Chokpak Pass 12 October 2000 and 20 October 1973.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005.
«Птицы Казахстана» под редакцией И.А.Долгушина, том 3, Алма-Ата, 1970.
Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.