Photo: El Golli Mohamed / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Merops persicus
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus) is a member of the Meropidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 49.3 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 persicus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 49.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meropidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of arid, desert country, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus) is a species of bird in the Meropidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL sw, nw AF.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 49.3 g, with a wing length of about 15.4 cm and a tail of around 8.9 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 3.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater?
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 49.3 g.
Where does the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater live?
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL sw, nw AF, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater belong to?
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater eat?
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater migrate?
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Blue-cheeked 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-cheeked Bee-eater make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-cheeked 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-cheeked Bee-eater's range?
The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 3.7 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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