Breeding Behaviors of Blue Tailed Bee-eater of Nujiang Valley

By the method of ad libitum sampling and all-occurrence recording, breeding behaviors of Blue Tailed Bee-eater in the Agricultural Region of Nujiang Valley were observed from 26th March to 17th July, 2007. The result showed the most common foods that male birds fed to female birds are Odonata and Hymenoptera insects, accounting for 83.56%. The frequency of females accepting the food provided by males was 96.83%, and the frequency of copulation was 17.49% following food acceptance. During the daytime of the incubation period, comparison of time on nest between male and female showed no significant difference. Male mean on nest time was (23.5±21.6)min and female (25.8±11.5)min. Once hatched, a decrease in time spent warming the young was seen until the 20th day where the parents bird ceased warming. The nursing period of Blue Tailed Bee-eater was found to be 29 - 33 days, with the presence of a helper significantly improving the success rate of reproduction.