The European Bee-eater feeds primarily on bees, wasps, hornets and similar species. It catches them on the wing, performing sallies from exposed perches. Before swallowing the prey, the bee-eater strikes it against a hard surface in order to remove the sting. One single bird may eat up to 250 bees per day. It also catches insects such as dragonflies, butterflies, cicadas, termites and grasshoppers – all caught and brought back to the perch to devenom it. The bird frequently regurgitates pellets containing the indigestible parts of the insects. It breeds in Southern Europe, North and South Africa and Western Asia and winters in Tropical Africa, India and Sri Lanka.
