Bird Guide

Arabian Green Bee-eater

Merops cyanophrys

Least ConcernInvertebratesShrublandCavity nestTiny · 15 g

About the Arabian Green Bee-eater

The Arabian green bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It has a patchy distribution in the arid regions of the Arabian Peninsula from Saudi Arabia south to Yemen and east to Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and has expanded its range north to the southern Levant over the past few decades.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

It is 16–18 centimetres (6.3–7.1 in) long excluding the elongated central tail feathers, which are an additional 2 cm (0.8 in) long. The head and back plumage is dull green except for a slender black eyestripe with a broad blue forehead and line above the black eyestripe, a conspicuous blue throat, and a broad black crescent at the top of the breast below the throat. The breast and underparts are blue-green. The most distinctive trait of this species is its bright blue throat and face, more intense than on either M. orientalis or M. viridissimus, and the central tail feathers are shorter.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where the Arabian Green Bee-eater lives

Regular range

When to see the Arabian Green Bee-eater

Peak activity in March · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

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