Bird Guide

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater vs White-throated Bee-eater

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater (Merops oreobates)

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

Merops oreobates

Small24 gWoodland

The species measures 22 centimetres (8.7 in) in length and weighs 17–38 grams (0.60–1.34 oz). The sexes are alike. They have bright green heads, upper parts, and tails; their chins and throats are yellow and outlined in black, with a white extension to the side; their breasts are cinnamon-brown, darkening towards the belly. When perched, their stance is upright with the tail pointing downward. The tail is blackish with an orange base and white tip when seen from the front, while from the back it is mainly green, with black edges visible when it is flared.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
Recorded by Anne Ndung'u · Call · Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0
White-throated Bee-eater (Merops albicollis)

White-throated Bee-eater

Merops albicollis

Small26 gGrassland

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green, but its face and throat are white with a black crown, eye stripe, and neckband. The underparts are pale green shading to blue on the breast. The eye is red and the beak is black. The white-throated bee-eater can reach a length of 19–21 cm, excluding the two very elongated central tail feathers, which can exceed an additional length of 12 cm. They weigh between 20 and 28 grams. Sexes are alike, except that the male has longer tail feathers. The call is similar to European bee-eater.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the White-throated Bee-eater
Recorded by Anne Ndung'u · Flight call, song · Kilifi County, Kenya · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0

Where you might meet both

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