The bee eater (Merops apiaster) has been making the Netherlands its home but the bird’s arrival shows that its traditional breeding grounds in Southern Europe are increasingly under threat from climate change, bird experts have told the Volkskrant.

A pair of bee eaters were spotted breeding in the Netherlands as early as 1964, when it was classified as extremely rare. Sightings increased from 2010 and the brightly coloured bird is now included on the list of official Dutch breeding birds.

This year, bird protection organisation SOVON recorded some 12 breeding pairs in the Netherlands.

While bird enthusiasts have welcomed their arrival, bird expert Hilbert Folkerts said the birds are part of a group of animal and plant climate refugees driven here by global warming.

“In Spain, the bee eater has already abandoned certain regions. It’s too hot and dry. Farmers are also using up enormous amounts of water from the reservoirs and water levels have fallen dozens of metres. That means that slowly but surely it is moving north where the climate is also heating up,” Folkerts said.

Bird experts think the bee eater could thrive in the Netherlands if there are enough big insects, such as bumblebees around, and the right breeding locations to make their nesting chambers in river banks and sandy ground.

For now, breeding bee eaters are still rare enough to keep their breeding grounds a secret.

“We only reveal the provinces,” Folkerts said. “Last year, it was Limburg, Zeeland and Groningen. This year, breeding bee eaters have been spotted in Zuid-Holland, Zeeland, Gelderland and Limburg. The bee eater is a lovely bird and would attract lots of photographers and the risk of disturbing nesting birds would be too great.”