Bird Guide

Black Bee-eater vs Red-throated Bee-eater

Black Bee-eater (Merops gularis)

Black Bee-eater

Merops gularis

Small27 gForest

The black bee-eater grows to a length of about 20 cm (8 in). It is a predominantly black bird, with a scarlet chin and throat, a streaked breast, a pale blue eyebrow, blue belly, undertail-coverts and rump, and rufous primaries.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: sandykeller · CC BY 4.0
Red-throated Bee-eater (Merops bulocki)

Red-throated Bee-eater

Merops bulocki

Small23 gShrubland

The adult red-throated bee eater grows to about 20 to 22 cm (8 to 9 in) in length with a moderately long tail, but no streamers. The upper parts are green and the red chin and throat are distinctive, though about 1% of individuals have a yellow throat. The hind neck, breast and underparts are buff, and the under-tail coverts and thighs are bright blue. To the east of the Central African Republic, the birds have blue facial features while to the west these features are green.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: christoph_moning · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black Bee-eater and Red-throated Bee-eater.