Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Merops persicus
A lime-green bee-eater with a thin black mask edged with aquamarine blue. Bright yellow-and-red throat patch is small compared to many other bee-eaters. Somewhat similar to Blue-tailed Bee-eater; look out for less extensive blue around the eye on Blue-tailed, the namesake blue tail, and a larger orange throat patch compared to Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. Found in open areas as well as forests from lowlands up into middle elevations. Gives a pleasantly mellow call starting off with a ticking note, followed by a trill.
Identification
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green; its face has blue sides with a black eye stripe, and a yellow and brown throat; the beak is black. It can reach a length of 31 cm (12 in), with the two elongated central tail feathers adding another 7 cm (2.8 in). Sexes are mostly alike but the tail-streamers of the female are shorter.<p>This is a bird which breeds in sub-tropical semi-desert with a few trees, such as acacia. It winters in open woodland or grassland. As the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. However, this species probably takes more dragonflies than any other food item. Its preferred hunting perch is telephone wires if available.<p>Blue-cheeked bee-eaters may nest solitarily or in loose colonies of up to ten birds. They may also nest in colonies with European bee-eaters. The nests are located in sandy banks, embankments, low cliffs or on the shore of the Caspian Sea. They make a relatively long tunnel of 1 to 3 m (3–10 ft) in length in which the four to eight (usually six or seven), spherical white eggs are laid. Both the male and the female take care of the eggs, although the female alone incubates them at night. Incubation takes 23–26 days.<p>The call sounds 'flatter' and less 'fluty' than the European bee-eater.
Taxonomy
Two subspecies are recognized:<p>This species is closely related to blue-tailed bee-eater, M. philippinus of East Asia, and the olive bee-eater of Africa, and has been treated as being the same species (conspecific).
- Scientific name
- Merops persicus
- Authority
- Pallas, 1773
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Meropidae
- Genus
- Merops
Range and habitat
Breeding range: PAL : sw, nw AF. Non-breeding range: AF.
- Breeding range
- PAL : sw, nw AF
- Non-breeding range
- AF
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Large tanager with a thick gray bill. Note the black patch in front of the eye, a largely cinnamon head, breast and vent, and gray belly, wings, and tail. Usually found perched quietly on the top of bushes in savanna and caatinga vegetation, as well as at forest edges and even urban parks.
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