Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-fronted Bee-eater
Merops bullockoides
White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) — 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 White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) is a member of the Meropidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 34.8 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 bullockoides
Where it lives
Gabon to Kenya, south to southern Angola, central South Africa and southern Mozambique
Quick facts
- Weight
- 34.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meropidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-fronted Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-fronted Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) belongs to the Meropidae family of the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Gabon to Kenya, s to s Angola, c South Africa and s Mozambique.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 34.8 g, with a wing length of about 11.2 cm and a tail of around 9.2 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 5.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-fronted Bee-eater?
The White-fronted Bee-eater is a small bird that weighs around 34.8 g.
Where does the White-fronted Bee-eater live?
The White-fronted Bee-eater is found across Africa with a range covering AF Gabon to Kenya, s to s Angola, c South Africa and s Mozambique, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the White-fronted Bee-eater belong to?
The White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the White-fronted Bee-eater eat?
The White-fronted Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-fronted Bee-eater migrate?
The White-fronted Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-fronted 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 White-fronted Bee-eater make?
1 real field recording of the White-fronted 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 White-fronted Bee-eater's range?
The White-fronted Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 5.3 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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