The Rainbow Bee-eaters along Cemetery Road are still feeding tunnel-bound nestlings, almost exclusively now on dragonflies. It must be a perilous life being a dragonfly – while these wonderful insects are themselves fierce predators they are easily caught by skilled hunters such as the Rainbowbird. This morning the birds seemed to be catching dragonflies at the rate of about one every five minutes or so!
Rainbow Bee-eaters with dragonfly prey, Cemetery Road Newstead, 31st December 2011.
According to one reference (Pywell, 1990) dragonflies may contribute up to 65% of the energy value captured by foraging bee-eaters – the insects seem to have become more important food as the young are close to fledging. Rainbow Bee-eaters are regarded as ‘sentinel-feeders’, sitting on a high perch and waiting for unlucky insects, such as dragonflies, bees, wasps and moths to pass within range. Generally they seem to be successful with at least 50% of their foraging attempts – a pretty good strike rate.
Returning to the perch after another successful feeding sally.
Another unlucky dragonfly!
Reference: Pywell, S.R. 1990. Unpublished. BSc (Hons) thesis, Monash University, Melbourne.
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