European Bee-eater \ Merops apiaster

The European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster), is one of the most colourful migratory birds seen in the United Arab Emirates. It has a bright chestnut back, yellow throat, black eye-stripe, blue-green underparts, pointed wings, and elongated central tail feathers. In flight, it is graceful and fast, often catching bees, wasps, dragonflies, and other flying insects in the air before returning to a perch.

In the UAE, the European Bee-eater is mainly a passage migrant, especially during spring and autumn migration, when it may be seen over farms, open woodland, wadis, parks, plantations, and coastal or inland green areas. The official EBRC checklist notes that it formerly bred in Ras Al Khaimah, but its current breeding status is uncertain and it is now likely extinct as a breeder in the country.