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Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Alternate name(s): "Rainbow-bird", "Spinetail", "Pintail"; misnomer: "Kingfisher" Aboriginal name(s): "birrubirruu" [yuwaalaraay]; "dirrandirran" [ngadjon]; "birinbirin", "beringo" (WA) Size: 23-27 cm Body mass: 20-33 g

Australia: Family Group 14 Family Group 14 Table Australian Swiftlet Pacific Swift White-throated Needletail Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher Yellow-billed Kingfisher Azure Kingfisher Little Kingfisher Forest Kingfisher Red-backed Kingfisher Torresian Kingfisher Sacred Kingfisher Blue-winged Kookaburra Laughing Kookaburra Rainbow Bee-eater Dollarbird Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Rainbow Bee-eaters are medium-sized bee-eaters (cf. other bee-eaters in Arabia). They are amongst the most colourful birds in Australia. The cap is golden-brown, the throat yellow, with a black band under it. The prominent black eye stripes have a narrow light-blue band under them. The front (chest and belly) has colours varying from golden-brownish to turquoise. The upperwings and mantle are green; the rump is light-blue. The flight feathers are orange-brown. In-flight the underwings are orange-brown, except for a narrow black trailing edge. The tail is also black. There is one small form of dimorphism, in that male Rainbow Bee-eaters have longer streamers (long central tail feathers) than females. The irises of both sexes are red; the long, strong, downward curved bill is dark-grey and the legs and feet are grey. Juvenile Rainbow Bee-eaters have somewhat duller colours, especially the throat band and the flight feathers, and no tail streamers yet. Twitcher's tip Rainbow Bee-eaters are extremely agile and can fly the tightest bends of all Australian bird species, which makes them recognizable from long distances.

Taxonomy, classification See Rainbow Bee-eater at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Rainbow Bee-eater is available HERE . Rainbow Bee-eaters, when not in Australia, populate the islands of far south-eastern Asia, ranging from eastern Indonesia and Timor Leste via New Guinea to the Solomon Islands. Rainbow Bee-eaters are breeding migrants to Australia from the North. They can make landfall anywhere along the North coast, from the Kimberley, WA, in the West to Cape Melville, QLD, in the East. They breed mostly in the South-East (eastern QLD, all of NSW and VIC plus the south-eastern corner of SA) and South-West of the continent, but also in an area between the Fitzroy and Gascoyne Rivers in WA and in the north-western corner of the NT. Outside their breeding season they disperse over large parts of the continent, except the VIC South coast, Tasmania and the most arid parts from the Nullarbor to South of the Kimberley (basically the eastern half of WA and the south-western quarter of SA). Rainbow Bee-eaters usually settle in lightly wooded areas, such as open forest, the fringes of forest or in open grassland, e.g. the semi-arid plains of the interior. Inland, in most cases they stay close to water courses, even if at the time dry. Where to look? How to find this species? The easiest way to find Rainbow Bee-eaters is to look for dead trees, often along (potentially dry) water courses from which they can be found hawking for insects. Also during their migration the species tends to follow such water courses. While out hunting they can be quite conspicuous.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Rainbow Bee-eaters are regular summer season visitors to the region where we lived until 2006, 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW. They appear in large numbers, hunting insects in groups of up to 10 at a time. Since 2007 we also find them regularly in other locations around Narrabri, e.g. Deriah Aboriginal Area and Eulah Creek, 20-30 East of Narrabri. We also observe them regularly in other locations to the West of the Great Dividing Range. They usually arrive with the first major rain even (north-westerly wind) in September, leaving the area again around March. L. Tonnochy reports spotting Rainbow Bee-eaters 20 km West of Townsville, QLD, in May 2012. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours reports spotting Rainbow Bee-eaters at the Town Common in Townsville, QLD, in August 2020. M. Mearns spotted Rainbow Bee-eaters at Currawinya NP, near Hungerford, QLD, in October 2012, and in several other locations in western QLD in September 2019. Rainbow Bee-eaters have also been observed by us to the East of the Great Dividing Range. In January 2011 tens of birds had their roosts in an intertidal wetland at the Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW. In SE QLD Rainbow Bee-eaters overwinter and can therefore be found at any time of the year. Various contributors report finding Rainbow Bee-eaters there regularly. R. Plumtree reports seeing Rainbow Bee-eaters regularly in the area of Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, during spring/summer. In August 2014 we found Rainbow Bee-eaters in abundance in various locations of the Northern Territory, e.g. in and around Darwin and also inland, at Pine Creek, NT. Various contributors report finding the species in the same area regularly. J. Greaves reports spotting a Rainbow Bee-eater at Alyangula, Groote Eylandt, NT, in September 2014. M. Eaton found Rainbow Bee-eaters in the township of Alice Springs, NT, in October 2022. C. Pears spotted Rainbow Bee-eaters in Broome, WA, in July 2024, and again in June 2025.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Close-up near-frontal view of a pair of Rainbow Bee-eaters
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
In Rainbow Bee-eaters the difference lies in the length of the tail streamers; males, here on the right, have longer tail streamers than females.
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Town Common, Townsville, QLD, August 2020]

Close-up near-frontal view of a pair of Rainbow Bee-eaters; now the female is on the right, turning its catch
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Town Common, Townsville, QLD, August 2020]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a pair of Rainbow Bee-eaters; male on the left (with long streamers), female on the right
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]

Pair of Rainbow Bee-eaters, male on the right (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

Lateral view of a pair of Rainbow Bee-eaters (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Rainbow Bee-eaters, male on the right (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Rainbow Bee-eaters, male on the right (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

MALE

Close-up frontal view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater; note the long tail streamers
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2026]

Frontal view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater looking sideways (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, December 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sandy Camp Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, March 2018]

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater looking backwards; the sex was determined from the length of its tail streamers (not visible here)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2026]

Near-lateral view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Gwydir Wetlands, near Moree, NSW, November 2012]

Lateral view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Town of 1770, QLD, September 2017]

Lateral view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater in mellow light (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater shaking out its plumage after preening (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]

Dorsal view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barkley Highway, 50 km NW of Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Dorsal view of a preening male Rainbow Bee-eater looking sideways to keep the observer in check
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, September 2006]

Dorsal view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater looking sideways (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Atherton Tablelands, QLD, May 2022]

3 species of insect-eating migratory birds: Sacred Kingfisher, left, Dollarbird, centre, Rainbow Bee-eater, right
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2018]

FEMALE

Close-up frontal view of a female Rainbow Bee-eater looking sideways; note the short tail streamers
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2026]

Frontal view of a female Rainbow Bee-eater looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]

Close-up near-lateral view of a female Rainbow Bee-eater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]

Close-up lateral view of a female Rainbow Bee-eater (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Town Common, Townsville, QLD, August 2020]

Lateral view of a female Rainbow Bee-eater; we show this photo to demonstrate the apparent absence (invisibility) of the bird's short tail streamers, which are clearly seen in another photo taken only seconds earlier in a very similar stance
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Alice Springs, NT, October 2022]

"Jumping Jack Flash" - lateral view of a female Rainbow Bee-eater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanage Bay, QLD, July 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a female Rainbow Bee-eater looking sideways
[Capertee NP, NSW, December 2015]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Rainbow Bee-eater diving from its perch (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Atherton Tablelands, QLD, May 2022]

Lateral view of a Rainbow Bee-eater banking before landing (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Rainbow Bee-eater; note the pale colours and the absence of tail streamers
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, February 2022]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Rainbow Bee-eater; note the pale colours (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[The Spit, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Rainbow Bee-eater turning the fly it has just caught (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Ensay North, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2019]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Rainbow Bee-eater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[The Spit, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]

Close-up near-lateral view of a juvenile Rainbow Bee-eater
[New Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, March 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Rainbow Bee-eater
[New Quipolly Dam, near Quirindi, NSW, March 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Rainbow Bee-eater
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, January 2026]

Lateral view of a juvenile Rainbow Bee-eater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[The Spit, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a young Rainbow Bee-eater looking backwards
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Two juvenile Rainbow Bee-eaters learning to catch their own food (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, December 2017]

Two juvenile Rainbow Bee-eaters learning to catch their own food; here one can be seen flying off, showing the gap at the centre of the tail where later the streamers will grow (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, December 2017]

Juvenile Rainbow Bee-eaters launching themselves into the air (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Cassilis, Gippsland, VIC, March 2019]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Sep - Feb

Eggs: 4 - 5

Incubation period: 24 - 25 days

Fledging age: 28 - 35 days

Nest building: Female & male

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Tunnel

Material: Soft, loamy soil

Height above ground: N/A

Rainbow Bee-eaters do not line their nests.

Additional information

There is a separate page on Rainbow Bee-eaters building a nest.

Entrance to a Rainbow Bee-eater nest tunnel in even ground; note the scrape marks of the two feet resembling wheel ruts and the natural "portico"
[Near Yarrie Lake, NSW, October 2025]

Entrance to a Rainbow Bee-eater nest tunnel in a vertical bank; note the scrape marks of the two feet resembling wheel ruts
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2014]

Looking deeper into a Rainbow Bee-eater nest tunnel, one can see that its cross section is roughly triangular
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2014]

If one is lucky - and the tunnel does not have too much of a bend - one can see a Rainbow Bee-eater sitting on its nest
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2014]

Rainbow Bee-eater leaving its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, October 2020]

Rainbow Bee-eaters enter their nest tunnel head first
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2014]

Near-lateral view of the same Rainbow Bee-eater as shown above; it is leaving its nest tunnel head first, so it must have turned around inside the nest chamber
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]

Near-frontal view of a Rainbow Bee-eater in the opening of its nest tunnel
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Rainbow Bee-eater leaving its nest tunnel
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, December 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Rainbow Bee-eater leaving its nest tunnel tail first, suggesting that there was no room to turn around in the nest chamber, possibly because the partner was incubating eggs; the bird was observed backing out like this repeatedly
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2014]

How does one know whether a Rainbow Bee-eater's nest tunnel is new? Usually by the heap of dirt that accumulates under the entrance.
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2020]

Entrance to an abandoned Rainbow Bee-eater's nest in almost flat ground in a paddock
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2008]

Rainbow Bee-eater on a perch near the opening to its nest tunnel
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2014]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 24 x 18 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Rounded

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Pair/flock

Outside their breeding season, Rainbow Bee-eaters form flocks. They have been seen by us flying very high during their migration, in groups of tens or more, calling each other in flight. If not for these calls, we would not have noticed them; they were barely visible to the unaided eye.

Many Rainbow Bee-eaters are short-distance migrants. Those spending the southern summers in the southern parts of the Australian continent need not go far to find suitable conditions to survive "winter". The borderline is near the latitude of the border between NSW and QLD.

Rainbow Bee-eaters usually congregate in flocks for their annual migration, but this flock of about 40 birds (only part of which are shown here) was seen in the middle of summer, possibly consisting of non-breeders
[Old Quipolly Dam, Quirindi, NSW, December 2013]

Rainbow Bee-eater making a splash (photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg)

Food, Diet

As their name already indicates (and like all other members of the Merops family seen by us in Oman), Rainbow Bee-eaters feed on bees, but also other insects such as e.g. dragonflies. They catch their prey in flight, then take it to their perch where it is killed with a head flick smashing it against the branch.

Lateral/ventral view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater with its prey
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, December 2005]

Male Rainbow Bee-eater with its prey, a honey bee (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a female Rainbow Bee-eater that has caught a dragonfly, which it first beat to death and then devoured whole
[Near Pine Creek, NT, August 2014]

Lateral view of a juvenile Rainbow Bee-eater with a bee it has just caught (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[The Spit, Gold Coast, QLD, January 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Rainbow Bee-eater that has caught a butterfly
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2014]

Near-frontal view of a Rainbow Bee-eater that has caught a "monster-size bee" - a cicada (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, November 2017]

Female Rainbow Bee-eater with a big load of food (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2018]

After catching an insect, Rainbow Bee-eaters will sit on a perch, turn their head to a side and then flip around in a sideways downward movement, smashing the insect against the branch that they are sitting on to kill it before eating it.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

rainbee_20200906.m4a	(NW NSW)	Contact calls?	© MD
rainbee_20210121_3.m4a	(NW NSW)	Contact calls? (in-flight)	© MD
rainbee_20170901.m4a	(NW NSW)	Hunting	© MD
rainbee_20180902.m4a	(NW NSW)	Hunting calls?	© MD
rainbee_20181001.m4a	(NW NSW)	Hunting calls? (in-flight)	© MD
rainbee_20210121_2.m4a	(NW NSW)	Various (family with juveniles)	© MD
rainbee_20231117.m4a	(NW NSW)	Various (8 flying over)	© MD
rainbee_20210121.m4a	(NW NSW)	Various (family with juveniles)	© MD
rainbee_20230318.mp3	(NW NSW)	Various (family with juveniles)	© MD
rainbee_20260106.m4a	(NW NSW)	Begging calls (juveniles)	© MD

More Rainbow Bee-eater sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.