Rosy Bee-eater
Merops malimbicus
The Rosy Bee-eater (Merops malimbicus) is a rare bee-eater found in 8 countries, weighing about 50 g. The rosy bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae.
About the Rosy Bee-eater
The rosy bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The adult is a distinctively colored bird that grows to a length of 22 to 25 cm (9 to 10 in) with tail-streamers adding 5 cm (2 in) to this, and weighing about 45 g (1.6 oz). Both sexes have similar features. The forehead and crown are dark grey, the mask black and the chin and cheek are white. The mantle is black, the wings and back are slate-grey and the rump paler grey. The tail is carmine, gradually bleaching to grey. The throat and underparts are bright pink and the undertail coverts are grey. The undersides of the flight feathers and large tail feathers are glossy black.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Equatorial Guinea, Togo.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, July, August, October, November, December, with peak activity in March. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Rosy Bee-eater?
- The adult is a distinctively colored bird that grows to a length of 22 to 25 cm (9 to 10 in) with tail-streamers adding 5 cm (2 in) to this, and weighing about 45 g (1.6 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Rosy Bee-eater?
- The Rosy Bee-eater is a small sized bird weighing about 50 g.
- Where can you see a Rosy Bee-eater?
- The Rosy Bee-eater occurs in 8 countries, including Ghana, Gabon, Nigeria, Congo - Brazzaville and Benin.
- What birds look similar to a Rosy Bee-eater?
- The Rosy Bee-eater is most easily confused with the Böhm's Bee-eater, the Somali Bee-eater and the Blue-headed Bee-eater.
- Is the Rosy Bee-eater endangered?
- The Rosy Bee-eater is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Rosy Bee-eater for real
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