Photo: Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Merops hirundineus
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Africa.
Found across 5 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) is a member of the Meropidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 21.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Coraciiformes
- Family Meropidae Bee-eaters
- Genus Merops
- Species hirundineus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 21.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meropidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) is a species of bird in the Meropidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 21.7 g, with a wing length of about 9.5 cm and a tail of around 9.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 8.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater?
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater is a small bird that weighs around 21.7 g.
Where does the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater live?
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater belong to?
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater eat?
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater migrate?
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater make?
1 real field recording of the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater's range?
The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 8.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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