Whitethroated Bee-eater
Merops albicollis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyMeropidae (Bee-eaters)
- GenusMerops (Typical Bee-eaters)
- SpeciesMerops albicollis (Whitethroated Bee-eater)
About the Whitethroated Bee-eater
The white-throated bee-eater (Merops albicollis) is a species of bee-eater that breeds in semi-desert along the southern edge of the Sahara. The white-throated bee-eater is migratory, wintering in a completely different habitat in the equatorial rain forests of Africa from southern Senegal to Uganda.
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green, but its face and throat are white with a black crown, eye stripe, and neckband. The underparts are pale green shading to blue on the breast. The eye is red and the beak is black.
The white-throated bee-eater can reach a length of 19–21 cm, excluding the two very elongated central tail feathers, which can exceed an additional length of 12 cm. They weigh between 20 and 28 grams. Sexes are alike, except that the male has longer tail feathers. The call is similar to European bee-eater.
White-throated bee-eaters also feed and roost communally. As the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. However, this species probably takes mainly flying ants and beetles... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Whitethroated Bee-eater in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
Merops oreobates
Black Bee-eater
Merops gularis
European Bee-eater
Merops apiaster
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Merops persicus
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Merops hirundineus
Blue-breasted Bee-eater
Merops variegatus
Blue-throated Roller
Eurystomus gularis
African Pygmy-Kingfisher
Ispidina picta
Woodland Kingfisher
Halcyon senegalensis
Broad-billed Roller
Eurystomus glaucurus
Malachite Kingfisher
Corythornis cristatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Whitethroated Bee-eater in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Whitethroated Bee-eater sighting in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, based on 52 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Whitethroated Bee-eater in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Whitethroated Bee-eater in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in our monthly data.