Red Bearded Bee-Eater or scientifically named Nyctyornis amictus is one of the only four (4) bee-eater species which can be found in Malaysia. It is a resident bee-eater and it is quite common in mid mountainous regions. Its diet is reportedly to be predominantly insects and recently i had an opportunity to see a male bird trying his luck on a beetle.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Here you can see the beetle between its mandibles. The beetle was probably caught from the nearby foliage and brought to the tree branch. The tree was about 20-30 meters high located in the mid level of a nearby primary forest.
The bee-eater tried its best to get the bulky and slippery beetle into a good edible position.
At one time the beetle nearly got away from the bee-eater and here you can see that it was merely dangling at the tip of the mandibles.
The bee-eater then tried other ways to get the beetle into position.
But the beetle was very stubborn and wouldn't want to give in. So the bee-eater decided to whack the beetle a couple of times on the branch until it passed out !
With the now almost "immobilised" beetle between its mandibles, the bee-eater tried again.
After about 15 minutes of maneuvering its prey, the beetle finally went down the bee-eaters's throat. Burp ! The bee-eater was motionless on the branch for a couple of minutes after swallowing the huge beetle.
Then the final conclusion of the entire process - the wiping of beaks. This arboreal foliage-gleaning insectivore would probably not be eating again for the next few days.
HAPPY BIRDING !