Photo: Jason Thompson / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-bearded Bee-eater
Nyctyornis athertoni
Blue-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis athertoni) — Kingfishers & Rollers of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis athertoni) is a member of the Meropidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 84.2 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 Nyctyornis
- Species athertoni
Quick facts
- Weight
- 84.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meropidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis athertoni) 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 widespread.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 84.2 g, with a wing length of about 13.5 cm and a tail of around 13.3 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 2.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-bearded Bee-eater?
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 84.2 g.
Where does the Blue-bearded Bee-eater live?
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Blue-bearded Bee-eater belong to?
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis athertoni) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Blue-bearded Bee-eater eat?
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Blue-bearded Bee-eater migrate?
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue-bearded 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-bearded Bee-eater make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-bearded Bee-eater can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Blue-bearded Bee-eater's range?
The Blue-bearded Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 2.6 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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