Yi Cao, Bee-eater With Prey In Flight (ANIMALS 2026)

A flying Rainbow Bee-eater with an insect in its beak looks more striking than one without. But the chances of capturing the bird flying towards the photographer can be rare. I have been photographing Rainbow Bee-eaters in central and northern Victoria during their breeding season for a few years, but only in January 2024 that I was lucky to have witnessed such a scene: EACH of the rainbow bee-eaters clutched its captured prey in its slightly curved black beak, held firmly, and continued its smooth, buoyant flight- in the direction of me.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.