Photo: Rehman Abubakr / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Asian Green Bee-eater
Merops orientalis
Asian Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Asian Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) is a member of the Meropidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 14.8 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 orientalis
Where it lives
Southern Iran and southern Asia to south-central China and southeastern Asia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meropidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Asian 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 Asian Green Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Asian Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) is a member of the Meropidae family, within the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, OR s Iran and s Asia to sc China and se Asia.
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 10.3 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 5.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Asian Green Bee-eater?
The Asian Green Bee-eater is a very small bird that weighs around 14.8 g.
Where does the Asian Green Bee-eater live?
The Asian Green Bee-eater is found across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering PAL, OR s Iran and s Asia to sc China and se Asia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Asian Green Bee-eater belong to?
The Asian Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Asian Green Bee-eater eat?
The Asian Green Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Asian Green Bee-eater migrate?
The Asian Green Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Asian 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 Asian Green Bee-eater make?
1 real field recording of the Asian Green 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 Asian Green Bee-eater's range?
The Asian Green Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 5.7 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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