Asian Green Bee-eater
Merops orientalis
Like other bee-eaters, this species is a slender, richly coloured bird. It is 16–18 centimetres (6.3–7.1 in) long excluding the elongated central tail-feathers, which are an additional 7 cm (2.8 in) long. The entire plumage is bright green, tinged with blue especially on the chin and throat, while the crown and upper back are tinged with golden rufous. The flight feathers are rufous washed with green and tipped with blackish. A fine black eyestripe line runs in front of and behind the eye, and there is also a slender black crescent at the top of the breast below the throat.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
European Bee-eater
Merops apiaster
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It has brown and yellow upper parts, whilst the wings are green and the beak is black. It can reach a length of 27–29 cm (10.6–11.4 in), including the two elongated central tail feathers, and weigh 44–78 g (52 g on average). Sexes are alike. Female tends to have greener rather than gold feathers on shoulders. Non-breeding plumage is much duller and with a blue-green back and no elongated central tail feathers. Juvenile resembles a non-breeding adult, but with less variation in the feather colours.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
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