Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

The chestnut-headed bee-eater, or bay-headed bee-eater, breeds from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka across Southeast Asia to Indonesia. It is 18 to 20 cm long, weighs 26 to 33 g and lacks the two elongated central tail feathers of most relatives. It is mostly green with blue on the rump and lower belly, a yellow face and throat with a black eye stripe, a rich chestnut crown and nape and a thin curved black bill. Young birds are duller (Wikipedia, general species account).

It was described in 1817 with an incorrect locality of Java, which has been redesignated as Sri Lanka. The nominate subspecies ranges from India and Sri Lanka to central south China, Indochina and the Malay Peninsula. Nationally Least Concern (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012).