Cooperation for survival
Meet Africa’s white-fronted bee-eater, a bird that catches insects, including bees, while on the wing.
This colorful little creature is also known for its selfless traits.
Instead of nesting in a tree, it digs in a sandbank and makes a nest chamber at the end of a long tunnel, where the female lays her eggs.
When these hatch, other bee-eaters cooperate, assisting the parents in providing food for the chicks.
These willing helpers are often youngsters from a previous brood, but they also include birds who are unrelated.
When food is scarce, as in times of drought, the number of assistant bee-eaters has been observed to increase.
Sinclair and Mendelsohn in the book Everyone’s Guide to South African Birds states:
“Even in the non-breeding season, this species usually associates in small groups, and at night, large numbers may roost communally in trees”—which is one more proof that ‘birds of a feather do flock together.’"
