The bee-eaters are near passerine birds of the family Meropidae, containing three genera and twenty-seven species. Most species are found in Africa and Asia, with a few in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage and slender bodies, and usually by elongated central tail feathers. All have long down-turned bills and medium to long wings, which may be pointed or round. They predominantly eat flying insects, caught on the wing from an open perch. Most bee-eaters are gregarious, forming colonies and nesting in burrows. The eggs are white, with typically five to the clutch. Most species are monogamous, and both parents care for the young, sometimes with assistance from related birds in the colony. Bee-eaters may be killed by raptors; their nests are raided by rodents and snakes, and they can carry various parasites. Some species are adversely affected by human activity or habitat loss, but none are threatened.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee-eater

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1781:

Fourth Anglo-Dutch War: British forces captured the Dutch island of Sint Eustatius after a brief skirmish. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Sint_Eustatius

1986:

Steve Jobs purchased Pixar from Lucasfilm and launched it as an independent computer-animation studio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixar

2014:

Russia's first school shooting took place when a student opened fire at School No. 263 in Moscow, resulting in the deaths of a teacher and a police officer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Moscow_school_shooting

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

flare: 1. (transitive) To cause to burn. 2. (transitive) To cause inflammation; to inflame. 3. (transitive, intransitive) To open outward in shape. 4. (transitive, intransitive, aviation) To (operate an aircraft to) transition from downward flight to level flight just before landing. 5. (intransitive) To blaze brightly. 6. (intransitive) To shine out with a sudden and unsteady light; to emit a dazzling or painfully bright light. 7. (intransitive, figuratively) To shine out with gaudy colours; to be offensively bright or showy. 8. (intransitive, figuratively) To suddenly happen or intensify. 9. (intransitive, figuratively) To suddenly erupt in anger. 10. (intransitive, obsolete) To be exposed to too much light. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/flare

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The needs of a human being are sacred. Their satisfaction cannot be subordinated either to reasons of state, or to any consideration of money, nationality, race, or colour, or to the moral or other value attributed to the human being in question, or to any consideration whatsoever. There is no legitimate limit to the satisfaction of the needs of a human being except as imposed by necessity and by the needs of other human beings.   --Simone Weil https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Simone_Weil