Rare discovery: Rainbow bee-eater nest unearthed

WILVO carers have successfully hatched many chicks over the years

Nature Watch News from Donna Brennan WildlifeVolunteers, WILVOS, 5441 6200 www.wilvos.org.au

When a Hotline call came through to Lin recently, about eggs scattered on the ground, the initial thought was they were probably plover eggs that had been disturbed.

The caller said there was a depression on the ground beside the eggs. It was more than a depression, it was a dug out nest! The photo that Nicole sent through showed a classic Rainbow Bee-eaters nest.

These beautiful birds are not seen very often, but they are hard to miss with their bright colours. Beautiful yellow heads, a long slender curved beak, and very obvious tail ‘streamers’, the feather extending beyond the length of the tail feathers.

WILVOS have received calls in the past where the nest has inadvertently been dug out by machinery on the roadsides or in housing developments. Sloping sights make ideal places to dig out a nest, which will be at the end of a tunnel, maybe over a metre long. Any habitat, other than dense forest, will be favoured by these bee-eaters.

As their name implies, Rainbow Bee-eaters love to eat bees and wasps. They perch up high on dead trees or power poles where there is good visibility for sighting insects, which they gracefully and swiftly swoop on and devour. They help to keep that balance between nature and insects!

These six eggs were promptly installed in an egg incubator. Not knowing how long since they were laid, or the circumstances that led to their being spread over the ground, we can’t be sure whether they will hatch into little chicks.

But it is worth trying. WILVO carers have successfully hatched many chicks over the years and we know eggs can often lead to lovely little surprises!

It is lovely hearing all the different birds at the moment. Here’s hoping for a disaster free Spring and Summer.