White-throated Bee-eater

Merops albicollis

Least ConcernUncommonInvertebratesGrasslandCavity nestSmall · 26 g

About the White-throated Bee-eater

The white-throated bee-eater is a species of bee-eater that breeds in semi-desert along the southern edge of the Sahara. The white-throated bee-eater is migratory, wintering in a completely different habitat in the equatorial rain forests of Africa from southern Senegal to Uganda.

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

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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.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What the White-throated Bee-eater sounds like

Recording: Anne Ndung'u · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in South Africa, Angola, Eritrea, Zambia, United Arab Emirates.

When to see it

Peak activity in November · a variable species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Learn the White-throated Bee-eater for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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