The Chestnut-headed bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti) named after Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour, a French botanist. These bee-eaters are gregarious, nesting colonially in sandy banks. Both the male and the female take care of the eggs. These birds also feed and roost communally. It is a resident breeder in the Indian subcontinent and adjoining regions, ranging from India east to Southeast Asia. It is a richly coloured, slender bird, predominantly green, with blue on the rump and lower belly. Its face and throat are yellow with a black eye stripe, and the crown and nape are rich chestnut. The thin curved bill is black. Sexes are alike, but young birds are duller.
Its called ‘Saranga’ in Sanskrit. That is the name of Lord Vishnu’s great sacred bow, as the flying birds resemble that shape, with the sharp beak representing the speeding arrow,
Shot in Coorg, Karnataka, Nikon Gears, Feb 2026 © Dr.Bishan Monnappa.
