Photo: Tom Tarrant / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
Merops oreobates
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater (Merops oreobates) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater (Merops oreobates) is a member of the Meropidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 24 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 oreobates
Where it lives
Southern South Sudan to northeastern Tanzania, western Uganda and eastern DR Congo to northwestern Tanzania
Quick facts
- Weight
- 24 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meropidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater (Merops oreobates) is a species of bird in the Meropidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF s South Sudan to ne Tanzania, w Uganda and e DR Congo to nw Tanzania.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 24 g, with a wing length of about 10 cm and a tail of around 8.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 361,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater?
The Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater is a small bird that weighs around 24 g.
Where does the Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater live?
The Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater is found across Africa with a range covering AF s South Sudan to ne Tanzania, w Uganda and e DR Congo to nw Tanzania, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater belong to?
The Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater (Merops oreobates) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater eat?
The Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater migrate?
The Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Cinnamon-chested 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 Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater make?
1 real field recording of the Cinnamon-chested 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 Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater's range?
The Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 361,000 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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