Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-throated Bee-eater
Merops albicollis
White-throated Bee-eater (Merops albicollis) — Kingfishers & Rollers of Africa.
Found across 5 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-throated Bee-eater (Merops albicollis) is a member of the Meropidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 25.9 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 albicollis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 25.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Meropidae
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-throated Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-throated Bee-eater is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The White-throated Bee-eater (Merops albicollis) belongs to the Meropidae family of the order Coraciiformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Mauritania and Senegal to e Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen and Somalia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 25.9 g, with a wing length of about 9.8 cm and a tail of around 16.4 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 1.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-throated Bee-eater?
The White-throated Bee-eater is a small bird that weighs around 25.9 g.
Where does the White-throated Bee-eater live?
The White-throated Bee-eater is found across Africa with a range covering AF Mauritania and Senegal to e Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen and Somalia, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the White-throated Bee-eater belong to?
The White-throated Bee-eater (Merops albicollis) belongs to the Meropidae family, in the order Coraciiformes.
What does the White-throated Bee-eater eat?
The White-throated Bee-eater is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-throated Bee-eater migrate?
The White-throated Bee-eater is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the White-throated 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 White-throated Bee-eater make?
1 real field recording of the White-throated 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 White-throated Bee-eater's range?
The White-throated Bee-eater has a mapped global range of about 1.6 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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