Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Bardia National Park, Nepal 4 Jun 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 in 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

Black sands in a tropical paradise
Taking the long view
4 Jun 2025Cala Luna beach, Sardinia, Italy
4 Jun 2026Snowy egret preening, Florida, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

15 Sep 2024Stockholm Public Library, Sweden
15 May 2026Endangered Species Day
4 Jan 2025Bản Giốc – Detian Falls, Vietnam
Drifting through Kerala
18 Apr 2024International Day for Monuments and Sites
5 Apr 2025Grand National
30 Dec 2025Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
23 Dec 2023Festivus
22 Sep 2024Autumn equinox
28 Feb 2025Tibetan New Year
19 Aug 2026Whytecliff Park, West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
When landscape met wilderness
1 Dec 2025Antarctica Day
6 Sep 2025Rufous hummingbird, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, United States
A warm hug in the icy north
27 Mar 2026World Theatre Day
9 Apr 2026Sgwd yr Eira waterfall, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, Wales
Lighting up the Dolomites
12 Oct 2023Palouse region, Idaho, USA
6 Dec 2025Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
18 Dec 2024English National Ballet performing The Nutcracker
22 Jun 2025World Rainforest Day
The bears and the bees…
28 Oct 2026Kunětická hora Castle, Bohemia, Czechia
9 Jun 2024Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Navarra, Spain
27 Feb 2025International Polar Bear Day
19 Feb 2025European river otter
Lighting the world
So nice, they made it twice
Celebrating the tropics