Olive Bee-eater

Merops superciliosus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesShrublandCavity nestSmall · 39 g

ID tip

The olive bee-eater grows to a length of 23 to 26 cm (9.1 to 10.2 in) with its tail streamers adding up to 7 cm (2.8 in). The sexes are similar, and adults have bronzy-green plumage with an olive cap and white forehead, eyebrows, chin and cheeks. The rump and tail are blue, apart from the streamers, which are black.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Olive Bee-eater

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 8 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Olive Bee-eater

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 16 countries with regular records, and 3 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 South Africa, Botswana, France.

About the Olive Bee-eater

The olive bee-eater or Madagascar bee-eater is a bee-eater species in the genus Merops. It is native to the southern half of Africa where it is present in Angola; Botswana; Burundi; Comoros; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Kenya; Madagascar; Malawi; Mayotte; Mozambique; Namibia; Rwanda; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe. It is a common species with a wide range so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated their conservation status as "least concern".

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side: Olive Bee-eater vs Southern Carmine Bee-eater · Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater vs Olive Bee-eater · Olive Bee-eater vs Red-throated Bee-eater

Learn the Olive Bee-eater in the BeakBrain App

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

Play today's Daily Bird

Every 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.