Yi Cao, Same Perch Different Hunts (ANIMALS 2026)

The rural area of Baringhub Victoria has been a breeding ground of Rainbow Bee-eaters for a few years. After Bee-eaters fly from Queensland fly to Victoria in summer, they start digging tunnels and lay eggs, then hatch eggs for a month or so. After that, bee-eaters’ daily tasks increased: catching insects, strike the insects against branches to remove stingers and venom, then carry the prey to sandy bank tunnels to feed the young inside. I took these images near a thick perch and saw rainbow bee-eaters kept landing on that perch to crush the insects they have caught. Moreover, I saw that insects they have caught have so many varieties, even butterflies they caught were not of the same type. Photographing bee-eaters landing on the same perch and tossing/crushing their preys, has been quite an experience!

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