Rainbow Bee-eater

This gorgeous bird was really enjoyable to paint. Often painting less flamboyant birds where they are mostly grey or brown, for example, I find myself looking forward to working on the colourful areas, like an eye or flash on a wing. That wasn't the case with this one though!

A bit about bee-eaters
The Rainbow Bee-Eater is widely distributed throughout Australia in rural areas, open forests and woodlands. This beautiful, jewel coloured bird is medium sized, quick in flight and feeds on insects. They nest in the ground, building a tunnel, which ends in a grass-lined chamber, to raise their young.
Rainbow bee-eater Merops ornatus