The little bee-eater

Little Bee- Eater - Nikon 850, Nikkor 200-500 , Manual mode f/5.6, 1/200, ISO 250 . Shot in Kenya

Members of this species, like other bee-eaters, are rich and brightly-coloured slender birds.They have green upper parts, yellow throats, black gorgets, and rich brown upper breasts fading to buffish ocre on the belly. Their wings are green and brown, and their beaks are black. They reach a length of 15–17 cm, which makes them the smallest African bee-eater. Sexes are alike. Often silent, their call is a soft "seep."

Just as the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, who are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. This species often hunts from low perches, maybe only a metre or less high. Before eating their meal, a bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface.

Unlike most bee-eaters, these are solitary nesters, making a tunnel in sandy banks, or sometimes in the entrance to an Aardvark den. They lay 4 to 6 spherical white eggs. Both the male and the female take care of the eggs.

( Description copied from Wikepedia for information about these beauties to support my photographs)