Photo: Len Worthington / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufous-crowned Bee-eater
Merops americanus
Rufous-crowned Bee-eater (Merops americanus) — Kingfishers & Rollers of South & Southeast Asia.
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The Rufous-crowned Bee-eater (Merops americanus) is a member of the Meropidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 37.4 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 americanus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 37.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meropidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rufous-crowned 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 Rufous-crowned Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rufous-crowned Bee-eater (Merops americanus) is a species of bird in the Meropidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Philippines (except Sulu Arch.).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 37.4 g, with a wing length of about 11.6 cm and a tail of around 12.9 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 259,000 km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufous-crowned Bee-eater?
The Rufous-crowned Bee-eater is a small bird that weighs around 37.4 g.
Where does the Rufous-crowned Bee-eater live?
The Rufous-crowned Bee-eater is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Philippines (except Sulu Arch.), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Rufous-crowned Bee-eater belong to?
The Rufous-crowned Bee-eater (Merops americanus) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Rufous-crowned Bee-eater eat?
The Rufous-crowned Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rufous-crowned Bee-eater migrate?
The Rufous-crowned Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Rufous-crowned 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.
How large is the Rufous-crowned Bee-eater's range?
The Rufous-crowned Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 259,000 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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