Red-throated Bee-eater
Merops bulocki
A pretty, medium-sized bee-eater with a red throat and a blue lower belly. Also note the black face mask, green upperparts, and pale orange breast. In flight, shows a cinnamon underwing with a trailing black edge. Found in savanna habitats, especially broadleaf woodland, often near water. Usually in small groups that perch conspicuously. The calls are simple trills, most of which have a wooden quality.
Identification
The adult red-throated bee eater grows to about 20 to 22 cm (8 to 9 in) in length with a moderately long tail but no streamers. The upper parts are green and the red chin and throat are distinctive, though about 1% of individuals have a yellow throat. The hind neck, breast and underparts are buff, and the under-tail coverts and thighs are bright blue. To the east of the Central African Republic, the birds have blue facial features while to the west these features are green.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Merops bulocki
- Authority
- Vieillot, 1817
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Meropidae
- Genus
- Merops
Range and habitat
The red-throated bee-eater has a wide distribution across tropical Africa, its range extending from Senegal and Gambia in the west to Uganda, southern Sudan, and Ethiopia in the east. Its typical habitat is savannah with scattered trees, farmland with trees, the edges of marshes, bushy pastures and gardens, but the birds are seldom to be found far from the erosion gullies, streams and small rivers, in the banks of which they nest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The red-throated bee-eater is a colonial species, nesting in groups and remaining in the nesting area all year round. The nests are tunnels, excavated before the ground dries after the rainy season, the colony having up to about fifty nests. The diet of these birds consists mostly of honey-bees and stingless bees, as well as other insects. When foraging, a pair or a few individuals move around together, and can sometimes be seen perched in a row side by side.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Cebu Boobook
Ninox rumseyi
A medium-sized owl of wooded areas on the island of Cebu. Head and upperparts dark brown and indistinctly barred. Underparts orange-brown. Shows some white speckling in the wing, a pale bar behind the shoulder, bright yellow eyes, and white eyebrows forming an arching V-shape. Note the large white throat patch. Unmistakable. No other owls occur in its range. Song is a distinctive “wip! Doo-wip! Doh” with the middle notes falling then rising, and the final note falling. Also gives single “wip” notes and rasps.
Pink-eared Duck
Malacorhynchus membranaceus
A distinctive species with fine zebra-striped plumage and a long and shovel-shaped bill giving a fang-like appearance. Typically feeds by swimming in tight circles. Like many waterbirds in inland Australia, it moves around a lot, and can be found in very large numbers when conditions are right.
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Small, dark heron with a blue-green back, rusty-colored neck and dark cap. Usually in a crouched position, partly concealed in vegetation, waiting patiently for prey. In flight, looks like an awkward crow with broad wings, neck tucked in, and legs extending just beyond the tail. Often vocal when flushed; gives a sharp "skeiw!"
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.