Learn what every symbol on the card means.Full credits and sources at beakbrain.com/symbols
GrasslandCavity nestSmall · 42 g
ID tip
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly colored, slender bird, predominantly carmine in color, except for a greenish blue head and throat and distinctive black mask. This species has red eyes, a black, pointed, decurved beak, and elongated central tail feathers. The sexes are similar in appearance, and the juveniles can be distinguished from adults by their lack of elongated central tail feathers and the pinkish brown coloration of their mantle, chest to belly, and flanks. The call is a deep, throaty tunk in flight; a series of rik notes when perched.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Northern Carmine Bee-eater
One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 10 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is February, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Northern Carmine Bee-eater
The map shades 25 countries with regular records, and 6 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
Recorded as a rare visitor in Sweden, South Africa, Canada, Central African Republic, Liberia, Zambia.
About the Northern Carmine Bee-eater
The northern carmine bee-eater is a brightly-coloured bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It is found across northern tropical Africa, from Senegal eastwards to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the southern carmine bee-eater which has a carmine coloured throat rather than the blue throat of the northern species.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Red-throated Bee-eaterMerops bulockiThe 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.
Black Bee-eaterMerops gularisThe black bee-eater grows to a length of about 20 cm (8 in).
African Green Bee-eaterMerops viridissimusIt is 16–18 centimetres (6.3–7.1 in) long excluding the elongated central tail feathers, which are an additional 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in) long.
Side by side: Northern Carmine Bee-eater vs Red-throated Bee-eater · Black Bee-eater vs Northern Carmine Bee-eater · African Green Bee-eater vs Northern Carmine Bee-eater
Learn the Northern Carmine Bee-eater in the BeakBrain App
Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Play today's Daily BirdEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.