Bee-eating birds [Merops leschenaulti] and honeybee predation
1989
Kumthorn Thirakhupt (Chulalongkorn Univ., Bangkok (Thailand). Faculty of Science. Dept. of Biology)
Field observations of birds were conducted at the Chulalongkorn Bee Biology Field Station, Suan Prom Porn, Trad, Thailand. Forty-seven species of birds have been observed around the apiary of Apis mellifera and A. cerana. Only nine species are bee-eating birds. They are Merops leschenaulti, M. Orientalis, Cypsiurus balasiensis, Hirundapus giganteus, H. cochinchinensis, Hirundo rustica, Dicrurus macrocercus, D. leucophaeus, and D. paradiseus. M. leschenaulti had the highest percentage of honeybee predation observed at the apiary. The number of birds visiting the apiary at a time as well as the time of the year for bee predation varied depending on bird species. Among nine bee-eating bird species, only M. leschenaulti was found to have stomach contents consisting mostly of honeybees. Bee-eating birds also consumed a number of insect pests of farms and orchards including predators and parasites of honeybees. Four methods of protection of honeybees from bee-eating birds were tested at the apiary and all tended to be effective. Further studies of the long-term effectiveness of these methods are needed.
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