Chestnut-headed bee-eaters Jun 4, 2024

Chestnut-headed bee-eaters

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:

Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Oct 4, 2025ISS main solar arrays seen from SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour
May 31, 2025Knuthöjdsmossen nature reserve, Sweden
Nov 5, 2023Playa del Silencio, Spain
Jun 29, 2025Blue lagoon of Pulau Ay, Banda Islands, Indonesia
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands
Mar 25, 2024Tulip fields in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
Sep 21, 2025Sea otters, Alaska
May 20, 2024Bee tending a honeycomb
Mar 11, 2024Koala sleeping in a eucalyptus tree
Sep 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
Dec 10, 2025Castle of Rocca Calascio, Italy
Sep 13, 2024Point Reyes National Seashore
Dec 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
Mar 4, 2026Purple crocus flowers, Seven Rila Lakes, Bulgaria
Nov 10, 2023Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
May 7, 2026Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona, United States
Nov 21, 2024Lion cubs, South Africa
Oct 28, 2025The Gothic Gate in the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks, Czechia
Dec 20, 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy
May 21, 2025Tea garden at Yangjiatang Village, Songyang County, China
Feb 1, 2026Colourful house in Olinda, Brazil
July 9, 2026Rice fields at Sapa, Lào Cai, Vietnam
Nov 27, 2023Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil
May 12, 2024Guanaco mother and baby
Aug 26, 2025Trullo buildings in Alberobello, Apulia, Italy
Mar 14, 2025Dolmen of Sorginetxe, Spain
Nov 11, 2024Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Sep 7, 2023Camels in the desert, United Arab Emirates
Oct 11, 2024Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada