Bird Guide

Arabian Green Bee-eater vs White-fronted Bee-eater

Arabian Green Bee-eater (Merops cyanophrys)

Arabian Green Bee-eater

Merops cyanophrys

Tiny15 gShrubland

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.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA · CC BY 2.0
White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides)

White-fronted Bee-eater

Merops bullockoides

Small35 gWoodland

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird, but with a distinctive black mask, white forehead, square tail and a bright red throat. The size is 23 cm (9 in.). The upperparts are green, with cinnamon underparts. The call is a deep squeak.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Arabian Green Bee-eater and White-fronted Bee-eater.