Three little birds

Three blue-cheeked bee-eaters huddled together on a cold winter morning on a tomato field in Rajshahi’s Godagari upazila, their fluffed feathers pressed close for warmth. Native to South Asia, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia, this migratory bird frequents open countryside, riverbanks and cultivated fields during the colder months. It feeds almost entirely on flying insects such as bees, wasps and dragonflies, caught with swift aerial sallies. The blue-cheeked bee-eater is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, though pesticide use and habitat disturbance remain ongoing threats.