Chestnut-headed bee-eaters Jun 4, 2024

It"s not just a name. Chestnut-headed bee-eaters really do spend their days swooping after stinging insects. As well as bees, they also feast on wasps, hornets and other bugs. The birds in today"s image are in Bardia National Park in Nepal, but they"re found across many other South Asian countries, from India and Bangladesh to Sri Lanka and Thailand. They catch their prey mid-flight, returning to a perch where they can beat stinging insects to stun them, which makes them safe to eat. These birds are designed to hunt: their dazzling green plumage helps camouflage them in dappled jungle light, their curved beak is perfect for picking off insects with precision and their eyes can move individually, which makes them all the better for spotting bees.

© PACO COMO/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Jun 4, 2025Moritzburg Castle, Saxony, Germany
June 4, 2026Snowy egret preening, central Florida, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

May 10, 2025Castildetierra in the Bardenas Reales, Navarre, Spain
Sep 26, 2024Blue-throated toucanet, Costa Rica
Nov 22, 2023Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
Aug 24, 2026Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, United States
Jan 16, 2025Pinnacles National Park, California, United States
Feb 5, 2026Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
May 12, 2025An iris garden in Tokyo, Japan
Oct 12, 2023Palouse region, Idaho, USA
Apr 12, 2026International Space Station
Oct 21, 2024Cypress trees in George L. Smith State Park, Georgia, United States
July 30, 2026Monument Valley, Navajo Nation, Arizona, United States
Feb 25, 2024Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, Canada
Nov 20, 2024Pont de pierre, Bordeaux, France
Oct 27, 2024Polar bear
Oct 31, 2024Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, United Kingdom
Nov 17, 2023Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin, USA
Dec 3, 2024Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
May 30, 2026Plains zebra foal in Etosha National Park, Namibia
Oct 21, 2025Cap dAntibes, Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur, France
May 12, 2026Atlantic puffins, Wales
Oct 6, 2023Taughannock Falls State Park, New York, USA
Feb 11, 2026Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California, USA
Jan 12, 2026Eurasian otters
Jul 1, 2025Fishing village of Tilting, Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Jul 5, 2025Cize-Bolozon viaduct, France
Apr 17, 2025Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
Sep 16, 2023Splügen Pass, Switzerland
May 30, 2024Everglades National Park, Florida, USA
May 15, 2026A family of sperm whales, Indian Ocean
May 3, 2026Leopard sleeping in a tree in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya