Photo: Lip Kee / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-throated Bee-eater
Merops viridis
Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis) — Kingfishers & Rollers of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis) is a member of the Meropidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. 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 viridis
Where it lives
Southern China to Sumatra, Nias (west of northern Sumatra), Riau Is. (east of central Sumatra), Bangka and Belitung (east of southern Sumatra), Java, northern Natuna Is. (northwest of Borneo) and Borneo
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 Blue-throated 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 Blue-throated Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis) is a species of bird in the Meropidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR s China to Sumatra, Nias (w of n Sumatra), Riau Is. (e of c Sumatra), Bangka and Belitung (e of s Sumatra), Java, n Natuna Is. (nw of Borneo) and Borneo.
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 7.6 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 3.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-throated Bee-eater?
The Blue-throated Bee-eater is a small bird that weighs around 34.8 g.
Where does the Blue-throated Bee-eater live?
The Blue-throated Bee-eater is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR s China to Sumatra, Nias (w of n Sumatra), Riau Is. (e of c Sumatra), Bangka and Belitung (e of s Sumatra), Java, n Natuna Is. (nw of Borneo) and Borneo, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Blue-throated Bee-eater belong to?
The Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Blue-throated Bee-eater eat?
The Blue-throated Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Blue-throated Bee-eater migrate?
The Blue-throated Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue-throated 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 Blue-throated Bee-eater make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-throated Bee-eater — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Blue-throated Bee-eater's range?
The Blue-throated Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 3.2 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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