Every year from March to July, the blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus), one of the most beautiful birds in China, visits Haikou. With a yellow and brown throat and a black eye stripe, the blue-tailed bird's brightly coloured plumage glows with a metallic luster all over. On May 12, a group of blue-tailed bee-eaters were photographed at the Haikou Wuyuanhe National Wetland Park.

The blue-tailed bee-eater boasts a superb flying technique. These acrobatic birds speed through the air, gliding, hovering, suddenly turning, and diving through the air. Dragonflies, butterflies, bees, beetles, and flies are its major food sources, so it has to be able to keep up! The magnificent blue-tailed bee-eater is found across Southeast Asia, in parts of Yunnan, Hainan Island, Hong Kong, and some coastal areas of Guangdong and Fujian in China.

The blue-tailed bee-eater has a super flying technique. (Photo/Chen Weidong)

A male blue-tailed bee-eater shows off a freshly caught dragonfly in order to attract a mate. (Photo/Chen Weidong)

A male blue-tailed bee-eater feeding his mate. (Photo/Chen Weidong)

Blue-tailed bee-eaters singing a duet. (Photo/Chen Weidong)

Blue-tailed bee-eaters playing on a branch. (Photo/Chen Weidong)

A male blue-tailed bee-eater carries his food back home. (Photo/Chen Weidong)

The wings of blue-tailed bee-eaters appear almost transparent in bright sunlight. (Photo/Chen Weidong)