European Bee-eater Makes First Recorded Appearance in Chennai

A juvenile European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) was recorded for the first time in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 11 October 2026. Birders spotted it near the Broken Bridge, close to the Adyar Estuary, and the observation was reviewed and accepted on eBird, a global online database for bird observations.

European Bee-eater: Taxonomy and Features

The European bee-eater belongs to the family Meropidae and the order Coraciiformes. Bee-eaters are slender, colourful birds with long, slightly curved bills and pointed wings. The European bee-eater feeds mainly on flying insects, including bees and wasps. It catches prey in flight and can remove a bee’s sting by rubbing the insect against a perch.

The species breeds across parts of Europe and western Asia and undertakes seasonal migration. In Tamil Nadu, it typically winters in areas including Coimbatore, Tirupur and Salem. Its recorded presence in Chennai had not been reported for several decades, according to local birders.

Adyar Estuary and Bird Records

The sighting took place at the Broken Bridge near the Adyar Estuary, where the bird was observed perched and making short flights to catch insects. R.V. Ramanan and his son Shreyas Ramanan first noticed it among a pair of Green bee-eaters. Bharath Ravikumar and Balakrishnan helped confirm the identification from photographs and further observation.

eBird is a citizen-science platform maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Birders submit observations with details such as species, location and date; records can be reviewed by regional experts. The Chennai observation was accepted in the database.

Related Species and Exam Facts

A Eurasian wryneck was also spotted near the Broken Bridge on 11 October 2026. Wrynecks are members of the woodpecker family, Picidae, and are known for twisting their necks during threat displays.

Important Facts for Exams

• The scientific name of the European bee-eater is Merops apiaster.
• The European bee-eater belongs to the family Meropidae and order Coraciiformes.
• The Adyar Estuary is located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• eBird is maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The first recorded Chennai sighting of the European bee-eater occurred near the Adyar Estuary on 11 October 2026. A Eurasian wryneck was recorded in the same vicinity on that date.