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Nyctyornis
Blue-bearded bee-eater (Nyctyornis athertoni)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Meropidae
Genus:	Nyctyornis Jardine & Selby, 1830
Type species
Merops amictus Temminck, 1824
Species
See text

Nyctyornis is a genus of the bee-eaters, near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. There are just two members of this group, which occur in tropical south and southeastern Asia.

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Nyctyornis amictus	Red-bearded bee-eater	Southeast Asia
	Nyctyornis athertoni	Blue-bearded bee-eater	Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia

The genus Nyctyornis was introduced by the naturalists William Jardine and Prideaux John Selby in 1830. The name comes from the Ancient Greek nukt meaning nocturnal or night and ornis meaning bird. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2007 showed that the genus is basal and forms a sister group to the remaining members of the bee-eater family.

Like other bee-eaters, Nyctyornis species are colourful birds with long tails, long downturned bills and pointed wings. They are large bee-eaters (blue-bearded is the largest of all bee-eaters), predominantly green, with a face colour as indicated by the species' name. This colour extends on to the slightly hanging throat feathers to form the "beard".

The two Nyctyornis species are the only bee-eaters that lack an eye-stripe and that have bi-coloured beaks. Their calls also differ from those of other bee-eaters and are somewhat similar to the noises made by rollers. Their size and more rounded wings give a heavier flapping flight that is less graceful than that of members of the genus Merops.

In common with other bee-eaters, they predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air, but they have a rather different strategy. They hunt alone or in pairs, rather than in groups, and sit motionless for long periods before pursuing their prey. The blue-bearded bee-eater will also clamber in foliage for insects, and bees are sometimes attracted by the bright blue beard of a perched bird, presumably mistaking it for a flower. They nest in burrows tunneled into the side of sandy banks, but do not form colonies.

References

1. "Momotidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
2. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2016). "Todies, motmots, bee-eaters, hoopoes, wood hoopoes & hornbills". World Bird List Version 6.4. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
3. Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 238.
4. Jardine, William; Selby, Prideaux John (1830). Illustrations of Ornithology. Vol. 2. Edinburgh: W.H. Lizars. Addenda.
5. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 277. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
6. ^ Marks, B.D.; Weckstein, J.D.; Moyle, R.G. (2007). "Molecular phylogenetics of the bee-eaters (Aves: Meropidae) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 45 (1): 23–32. Bibcode:2007MolPE..45...23M. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.004. PMID 17716922.
7. Fry, Fry & Harris 1992, p. 242.
8. Fry, Fry & Harris 1992, pp. 241–244.
9. ^ Fry, Hilary (2001). "Family Meropidae (Bee-eaters)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 6: Mousebirds to Hornbills. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 286–325. ISBN 978-84-87334-30-6.
10. Fry, Fry & Harris 1992, p. 243.
11. Fry, Fry & Harris 1992, pp. 242, 244.

Sources

• Fry, C. Hilary; Fry, Kathie; Harris, Alan (1992). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, and Rollers. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 978-0-7136-8028-7.

v t e Genera of trogons, hornbills, kingfishers, woodpeckers and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Infraclass: Neognathae Clade: Coraciimorphae Clade: Cavitaves
Cavitaves Leptosomiformes Leptosomidae Leptosomus †Plesiocathartes? †Waltonavis Eucavitaves Trogoniformes Trogonidae Apalharpactes Apaloderma †Eotrogon Euptilotis †Foshanornis Harpactes †Masillatrogon †Paratrogon Pharomachrus †Primotrogon Priotelus †Septentrogon Trogon Picocoraciae Bucerotiformes See below ↓ Picodynastornithes Coraciiformes See below ↓ Piciformes See below ↓
Bucerotiformes Bucerotiformes †Laurillardiidae Laurillardia †Messelirrisoridae Messelirrisor Upupi Phoeniculidae †Phirriculus Phoeniculus Rhinopomastus Upupidae Upupa Buceroti Bucorvidae Bucorvus †Euroceros Bucerotidae Aceros Anorrhinus Anthracoceros Berenicornis Buceros Bycanistes Ceratogymna Horizocerus Lophoceros Ocyceros Penelopides Rhabdotorrhinus Rhinoplax Rhyticeros Tockus
Coraciiformes incertae sedis †Cryptornis †Paracoracias †Quasisyndactylus †Eocoraciidae Eocoracias †Geranopteridae Geranopterus †Primobucconidae Primobucco Septencoracias Brachypteraciidae Atelornis Brachypteracias Geobiastes Uratelornis Coraciidae †Chehuenia Coracias Eurystomus †Miocoracias Meropidae Meropogon Merops Nyctyornis Alcedines Alcedinidae Alcedininae Alcedo Ceyx Corythornis Ispidina Cerylinae Ceryle Chloroceryle Megaceryle Halcyoninae Actenoides Caridonax Cittura Clytoceyx Dacelo Halcyon Lacedo Melidora Pelargopsis Syma Tanysiptera Todiramphus Momotidae Aspatha Baryphthengus Electron Eumomota Hylomanes Momotus †Protornis? Todidae †Palaeotodus Todus
Piciformes incertae sedis †"Homalopus" †Pristineanis †Gracilitarsidae Gracilitarsus Neanis †Sylphornithidae Oligosylphe Palaegithalus? Sylphornis Galbuli †Jacamatia Bucconidae Bucco Chelidoptera Hapaloptila Hypnelus Malacoptila Micromonacha Monasa Nonnula Notharchus Nystalus Galbulidae Brachygalba Galbalcyrhynchus Galbula Jacamaralcyon Jacamerops Pici incertae sedis †Rupelramphastoides †Miopiconidae Miopico †Picavidae Picavus Ramphastides Capitonidae Capito †Capitonides Eubucco Lybiidae Buccanodon Cryptolybia Gymnobucco Lybius Pogoniulus Pogonornis Stactolaema Trachyphonus Tricholaema Megalaimidae Caloramphus Psilopogon Ramphastidae Andigena Aulacorhynchus Pteroglossus Ramphastos Selenidera Semnornithidae Semnornis Picides Indicatoridae Indicator Melichneutes Melignomon Prodotiscus Picidae See below ↓
Picidae incertae sedis †Bitumenpicus †Breacopus †Palaeonerpes †Palaeopicus †Piculoides Jynginae Jynx Picumninae Picumnus Sasiinae Sasia Verreauxia Picinae †Australopicus †Palaeonerpes †Pliopicus Nesoctitini Nesoctites Hemicircini Hemicircus Picini Campethera Celeus Chrysophlegma Colaptes Dinopium Dryocopus Gecinulus Geocolaptes Micropternus Meiglyptes Mulleripicus Pardipicus Piculus Picus Campephilini Blythipicus Campephilus Chrysocolaptes Reinwardtipicus Melanerpini Chloropicus Dendrocopos Dendrocoptes Dendropicos Dryobates Leiopicus Leuconotopicus Melanerpes Picoides Sphyrapicus Veniliornis Xiphidiopicus Yungipicus

• Meropidae
• Taxa named by Sir William Jardine
• Taxa named by Prideaux John Selby