Photo: Stuart Orford / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Ethiopian Bee-eater
Merops lafresnayii
Ethiopian Bee-eater (Merops lafresnayii) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Ethiopian Bee-eater (Merops lafresnayii) is a member of the Meropidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 22.5 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 lafresnayii
Quick facts
- Weight
- 22.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meropidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Ethiopian Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Ethiopian Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Ethiopian Bee-eater (Merops lafresnayii) is a member of the Meropidae family, within the order Coraciiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Eritrea, Ethiopia and e South Sudan.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22.5 g, with a wing length of about 9.6 cm and a tail of around 8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 693,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Ethiopian Bee-eater?
The Ethiopian Bee-eater is a small bird that weighs around 22.5 g.
Where does the Ethiopian Bee-eater live?
The Ethiopian Bee-eater is found across Africa with a range covering AF Eritrea, Ethiopia and e South Sudan, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Ethiopian Bee-eater belong to?
The Ethiopian Bee-eater (Merops lafresnayii) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Ethiopian Bee-eater eat?
The Ethiopian Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Ethiopian Bee-eater migrate?
The Ethiopian Bee-eater is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Ethiopian 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 Ethiopian Bee-eater make?
1 real field recording of the Ethiopian 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 Ethiopian Bee-eater's range?
The Ethiopian Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 693,000 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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