Blue-headed Bee-eater
Merops muelleri
The Blue-headed Bee-eater (Merops muelleri) is a rare bee-eater found in 8 countries, weighing about 23 g. The blue-headed bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae.
About the Blue-headed Bee-eater
The blue-headed bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is found in forest habitats in tropical West and Central Africa, including in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Kenya.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The sexes are similar and the length of the adult is about 19 cm (7.5 in). The back and wings are dark brown while the remaining plumage is mostly ultramarine blue. The crown of birds living in the east of the range is blue fading to white on the forehead; western populations have entirely blue heads. The chin and upper throat is scarlet, with a black margin. The belly is a paler shade of blue. The eye is red. In the poor light in the interior of the forest, this bird can be confused with the black bee-eater (Merops gularis).
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Central African Republic, Guinea.
When to see it
The Blue-headed Bee-eater can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Blue-headed Bee-eater?
- The sexes are similar and the length of the adult is about 19 cm (7.5 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Blue-headed Bee-eater?
- The Blue-headed Bee-eater is a small sized bird weighing about 23 g.
- Where can you see a Blue-headed Bee-eater?
- The Blue-headed Bee-eater occurs in 8 countries, including Kenya, Gabon, Congo - Kinshasa, Congo - Brazzaville and Cameroon.
- What birds look similar to a Blue-headed Bee-eater?
- The Blue-headed Bee-eater is most easily confused with the Somali Bee-eater, the Blue-moustached Bee-eater and the Black-headed Bee-eater.
- Is the Blue-headed Bee-eater endangered?
- The Blue-headed Bee-eater is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Blue-headed Bee-eater for real
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