Breeding ecology of European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) in Kohgilouyeh city

Abstract

Introduction: Due to the distribution of bee-eaters and especially the European bee-eater in
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmed provinces, no type of study on the ecology of this species has
been conducted in Iran, and therefore this research deals with the issue of investigating the
reproduction, habitat and nest structure of the European bee-eater.
Materials & Methods: In the spring of 2019, breeding performance and nest characteristics of
20 European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) active nests in a 500-hectare forest area in the
Charosa area in Kohgiluyeh city were studied.
Results: The average vertical and horizontal diameter of the nest entrance was 61.88±10.90
and 61.75±14.97 mm respectively. The average vertical and horizontal depth of the hole was
30.30±4.31 and 77.65±22.81 mm. The average area of the nests was 30.745±9.861 cm2, and
the volume of the nests was 3290.61±1101.82 cm3. The average slope of the nests was
63.6±27.61 degrees. Most of the birds laid their eggs in the second week of May that clutch
sizes were between four and seven (mean: 5.9±0.77). The incubation period varied from 16 to
20 days (mean: 17.95±1.19 days) and the duration of the nestling period varied from 21 to 24
days (mean: 24±0.71 days). More than 80% of the chicks left the nests in the last days of June.
The number of fledglings was 6.0±0.65 in successful nests and 5.70±1.45 in all nests.
Conclusion: The overall duration of breeding was 55.21±1.15 days, and the percentage of
successful nests (at least one fledged young) was 95%.