Purple-bearded Bee-eater
Meropogon forsteni
The Purple-bearded Bee-eater (Meropogon forsteni) is a legendary bee-eater found only in Indonesia, weighing about 55 g. The purple-bearded bee-eater or Celebes bee-eater is a species of bee-eater endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia.
About the Purple-bearded Bee-eater
The purple-bearded bee-eater or Celebes bee-eater is a species of bee-eater endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. This species is often seen in clearings inside dense forest.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The purple-bearded bee-eater is a colourful long bird with a long tail, long slender decurved beak and rather rounded wings. It is 25–26 cm (9.8–10.2 in) long, excluding 66 cm (26 in) of tail streamers. The adult male has a purple head, face, "beard" (long hanging throat feathers), breast and upper belly. The upperparts, wings and tail are green, apart from a reddish-brown nape, and the central tail feathers are elongated as streamers. The lower belly is reddish-brown and the underside of the tail is chestnut. The adult female is similar, but the forebelly is reddish-brown, not purple.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: July, August, September, October, November, with peak activity in September. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Purple-bearded Bee-eater?
- The purple-bearded bee-eater is a colourful long bird with a long tail, long slender decurved beak and rather rounded wings. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Purple-bearded Bee-eater?
- The Purple-bearded Bee-eater is a small sized bird weighing about 55 g.
- Where can you see a Purple-bearded Bee-eater?
- The Purple-bearded Bee-eater is endemic to Indonesia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Purple-bearded Bee-eater?
- The Purple-bearded Bee-eater is most easily confused with the Blue-moustached Bee-eater, the Black-headed Bee-eater and the Blue-headed Bee-eater.
- Is the Purple-bearded Bee-eater endangered?
- The Purple-bearded Bee-eater is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Purple-bearded Bee-eater for real
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