Photo of the Day 329

Carmine Bee-Eaters, Chad, 2007

Photograph by Michael Nichols

Colorful carmine bee-eaters set up a breeding colony in holes they dug in a dried-up, sandy riverbed in Zakouma National Park, Chad. During the day, bee-eaters catch honeybees and other insects, sometimes displaying them outside their holes to attract mates. At sunset the colony gathers and embarks on a mysterious, swirling flight. By nightfall the birds are back in their holes.

(Text adapted from and photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Zakouma: Eye to Eye," March 2007, National Geographic magazine)