Merops philippinus is a species of hummingbird in the bee tiger family.
It has the characteristics of a tropical bird with showy plumage. The throat is chestnut red with a black over-eye pattern, the wings and back are green, and the tail is blue.
The feathers under the wings are orange-yellow when flying. In the sunlight, their whole body shines with a metallic and brilliant luster, and some people call it one of the most beautiful birds.
Highly skilled in flight, they can make the rapid flight, gliding, hovering, rapid rotation and tilting, and other difficult movements in the air. It feeds mainly on dragonflies, butterflies, bees, beetles, and flies, and lives mainly in Southeast Asia.
The tail and waist of Merops philippinus are blue, and the throat is chestnut-colored. The eyes are black, and under them as well as a narrow-shaped eyebrow stripe of light blue-green.
From the forehead to the back and wing surface glowing green, the top of the head to the back grass green stained yellow, broad black through the eyes from the forehead through the eyes first and eyes to the ear coverts, black through the eyes above and below each narrow line blue narrow lines.
The upper loin and tail feathers are bright blue, and the tail is blue-green.
The central tail feathers are very long and narrow, and their length beyond the lateral tail feathers is much longer than twice the length of the tarsus. The tips are protruding about 38-45 mm, and the protruding tips are black.
The shoulders and both wing surfaces are grass green, and the upper wing coverts, primary flight feathers, and outer secondary flight feathers are copper green.
The inner flight feathers are blue with black tips, and the outer flight feathers also have black tips. The chin and upper throat are yellow, and the lower throat and upper thorax are maroon.
The lower thorax and belly are grass green, the lower belly to the lower tail feathers are blue, and the axillary feathers and the lower wing feathers are chestnut yellow.
The loin and upper tail feathers and tail feathers are bright green-blue on the surface. The central tail feathers are nearly black at the end, and the inner margins of the lateral tail feathers are light red and chestnut.
The primary and secondary flight feathers have blackish tips, and the outermost outer feathers of the outermost ones and the exposed parts of the innermost ones are light green.
The underside of the wings is orange-brown. The chin is bright yellow. The throat is bright maroon. Light yellow-green to light green from the thorax down; silvery-blue under tail feathers.
Each summer is the breeding season for Merops philippinus, which migrates from April to May and leaves in September to October.
Most of them move in groups of several to dozens, but some are seen alone or in pairs during the breeding period. They are agile and often catch their prey in the air while in flight.
They gather in groups to hunt in open areas. They like open fields, digging nests in earth cliffs, often in large groups, forming spectacular nests. It prefers to hunt in the air more than other bee tigers. During the day, the male flies over open fields from night to day to hunt.
Merops philippinus feeds mainly on white butterflies, and dragonflies, cicadas, moths, insectivorous gadflies and beetles are also food resources.
It breeds in South Asia, the Philippines, Sulawesi, and New Guinea. It migrates to the Sunda Islands in winter.
Merops philippinus is a bird of the bee tiger family of the order Phocaenidae.
Merops philippinus is very athletic, often taking only a second or two from the time it swoops into the water to the time it flies out. Including stinging bees and more toxic wasps, Merops philippinus for bees, as the existence of tigers.
Once the bees encounter them, the chances of escape are almost zero.
