The Rainbow Bee-eater breeds in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia where it is found in most habitats with the exception of dense forest. It winters in Papua New Guinea and northern Australia arriving in its breeding territories further south in September and migrating northwards in April.

They feed mainly on bees, wasps and hornets from which they extract enough moisture to be able to live in fairly dry areas. They nest in burrows in the ground.

It is a spectacularly colourful bird with a finely curved bill and a red eye. The male has a more orange crown than the female and it also has longer and thinner tail shafts.

There is more information available via Avibase.