Photo: Brett Donald (brett.donald) / CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is a member of the Meropidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 29.5 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 ornatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 29.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meropidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rainbow 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 Rainbow Bee-eater is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is a species of bird in the Meropidae family, part of the order Coraciiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia (except Tasmania).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 29.5 g, with a wing length of about 10.8 cm and a tail of around 10.7 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 6.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rainbow Bee-eater?
The Rainbow Bee-eater is a small bird that weighs around 29.5 g.
Where does the Rainbow Bee-eater live?
The Rainbow Bee-eater is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia (except Tasmania), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Rainbow Bee-eater belong to?
The Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the Rainbow Bee-eater eat?
The Rainbow Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rainbow Bee-eater migrate?
The Rainbow Bee-eater is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Rainbow 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 Rainbow Bee-eater make?
1 real field recording of the Rainbow Bee-eater can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rainbow Bee-eater's range?
The Rainbow Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 6.5 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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