Merops ornatus (Rainbow Bee-Eater)

ICUN Status: Least Concern.

Being new to bird photography and birding in general has it's advantages. Where folks really into birds don't really give this species a second glance due to it's abundance, I'm absolutely infatuated by them.

The are obviously visually stunning, but they have other traits that endear them as well. Their call is immensely cute, and you often (normally) hear them before you see them. When they fly, their wings make an amazing and very characteristic crescent shape, and they fly in a very particular acrobatic way, doing by swoops and turns as they hunt insects. They're also very social so seeing them in groups and interacting can be amusing also.

Simply wonderful birds!