Habitat
Temperate forest, grassland and shrubland, subtropical and tropical lowland dry grassland and shrubland, dry savanna, inland wetlands, pasturelands, plantations. From sea-level - 2,400 m.
North-western Africa (Morocco east to Libya) and south-western Europe (Iberia) east to western Russia and central and south-western Asia (east to L Balkhash and L Zaysan in Kazakhstan), south to Afghanistan and Oman; also southern Namibia and South Africa. Winters at lower latitudes in tropical Africa.
Population
Estimated population is 3,000,000 - 10,000,000 (2010).
Food
Exclusively flying insects, including bees and wasps, ants, flies, beetles, butterflies and moths. The sting of bees and wasps is removed before being eaten.
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet