Photo: jujurenoult / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Kingfishers & Rollers

African Green Bee-eater

Merops viridissimus

African Green Bee-eater (Merops viridissimus) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Africa.

The African Green Bee-eater (Merops viridissimus) is a member of the Meropidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 14.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Coraciiformes
Family Meropidae Bee-eaters
Genus Merops
Species viridissimus

Where it lives

Senegal to Egypt, Ethiopia and eastern Sudan

Africa

Quick facts

Weight: 14.8 g
Diet: Invertebrate-eaters
Family: Meropidae
Order: Coraciiformes
Habitat: Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The African Green 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 African Green Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The African Green Bee-eater (Merops viridissimus) is a member of the Meropidae family, within the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Senegal to Egypt, Ethiopia and e Sudan.

It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.8 g, with a wing length of about 9.1 cm and a tail of around 13.5 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 4.4 million km².

Songs & calls

African Green Bee-eater — Song

Recorded by Joost van Bruggen Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the African Green Bee-eater?

The African Green Bee-eater is a very small bird that weighs around 14.8 g.

Where does the African Green Bee-eater live?

The African Green Bee-eater is found across Africa with a range covering AF Senegal to Egypt, Ethiopia and e Sudan, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the African Green Bee-eater belong to?

The African Green Bee-eater (Merops viridissimus) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.

What does the African Green Bee-eater eat?

The African Green Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the African Green Bee-eater migrate?

The African Green Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the African Green 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 African Green Bee-eater make?

1 real field recording of the African Green Bee-eater — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the African Green Bee-eater's range?

The African Green Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 4.4 million km².