Chestnut-headed bee-eaters, Bardia National Park, Nepal Jun 4, 2024

Chestnut-headed bee-eaters, Bardia National Park, Nepal

It"s not just a name. Chestnut-headed bee-eaters 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 in mid-flight, returning to a perch where they beat insects to stun them and remove the stinger, 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, 2018Lighting it up for Vivid Sydney
Jun 4, 2019Breaking the fast for Eid
Jun 4, 2020A bridge too Fawr
Jun 4, 2021Islands that turned the tide
Jun 4, 2022National Trails Day
Jun 4, 2023Waiānapanapa State Park, Maui, Hawaii
Jun 4, 2025The beach at Cala Luna, Sardinia, Italy
Jun 4, 2026Snowy egret preening, central Florida

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 2, 2019Sequential images of a total solar eclipse
Feb 25, 2023Bryce Canyon National Park turns 100
Oct 15, 2019The globe skimmers return
Jan 18, 2023White Sands National Park turns 90
May 25, 2026Memorial Day
Jun 12, 2020Big sky at Big Bend
Oct 22, 2021Jasper Dark Sky Festival
Oct 14, 2018Gone ‘lightseeing’ in Berlin
Jan 17, 2018Train crossing the Tadami River in Japan
Mar 30, 2022Belted Galloway cows
May 23, 2020Bask in the glow—It s World Turtle Day
Oct 17, 2020Fog above the forest
Jun 6, 2026National Trails Day
Oct 20, 2019Meet the slowest flirt in the animal world
Nov 3, 2020Vote!
Aug 29, 2022Baltic Sea, Estonia
Oct 21, 2021Here s looking Atchafalaya
May 22, 2023International Day for Biodiversity
Apr 14, 2022Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
Nov 4, 2025Tower Bridge, London, England
Feb 20, 2023Presidents Day
Aug 17, 2022Freshwater plants in Aquário Natural, Brazil
Aug 23, 2022Menton, France
Oct 31, 2021Happy Halloween!
Feb 19, 2026Dragons Eye, Uttakleiv Beach, Norway
Jun 17, 2018Papa was a flightless bird
Feb 18, 2019Presidents Day in America’s front yard
Jul 3, 2018To the 155th on the 155th
Apr 26, 2020Red skies at Ruby Beach
Mar 29, 2023Manatee Appreciation Day