The European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) — a spectacularly colourful bird of Mediterranean grassland and farmland — has begun breeding in England for the first time in decades. Its occasional colonisation attempts in southern England, combined with range expansion northward across Europe attributed to climate change, make it one of the most exciting range-expansion stories in British ornithology.
Biology and Natural History
Bee-eaters are social, aerial insectivores with unmistakable plumage — chestnut-yellow back, turquoise-green underparts, yellow throat, and elongated central tail feathers. They breed in colonial burrows excavated in sandy banks, earth faces, and soft cliffs. As their name suggests, they specialise in catching bees, wasps, and other large insects in flight, removing stings by beating prey against a perch before swallowing.
UK Breeding Records
Bee-eaters bred occasionally in England during the 20th century — notably in Sussex (1955). Recent breeding attempts have been documented in Nottinghamshire, County Durham, and other locations in the 2010s–2020s. The 2022 breeding attempt in Nottinghamshire attracted thousands of wildlife watchers, highlighting the cultural value of charismatic species range expansions. Climate change-driven northward range shifts across Europe make regular UK breeding increasingly likely in coming decades.
Welfare Considerations
- Disturbance at nest colonies causes nest abandonment — wildlife watching must be managed from appropriate distances with strict approach rules
- Pesticide reduction in farmland areas benefits bee-eaters through prey availability — neonicotinoid restrictions particularly relevant
- Cats near nesting banks can cause significant disturbance and predation
- Cold or wet summers reduce insect availability during chick rearing — timing of UK breeding attempts relative to typical summer weather is a key success determinant
Conservation Status
Globally, bee-eaters are not threatened, but as a newly colonising species in the UK, breeding pairs receive full legal protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 — intentional disturbance at the nest is an offence. RSPB and county wildlife trusts coordinate site protection for known breeding locations, managing access to allow wildlife watching while preventing nest disturbance.