Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyMeropidae (Bee-eaters)
- GenusMerops (Typical Bee-eaters)
- SpeciesMerops ornatus (Rainbow Bee-eater)
About the Rainbow Bee-eater
The rainbow bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is a bird species in the bee-eater family Meropidae. The rainbow bee-eater is the only species of bee-eater found in Australia and is monotypic, meaning it has no accepted subspecies. Its closest relative is most likely the olive bee-eater (Merops superciliosus) of southern and eastern Africa, but molecular phylogenetic analysis places the rainbow bee-eater as closest relative with the European bee-eater (M. apiaster). It was first described by John Latham in 1801.
The generic name is Ancient Greek merops which means 'bee-eater' and the specific epithet is Latin ornatus 'ornate, adorned'. Rainbow bee-eaters are brilliantly coloured birds that grow to be 23–28 cm (9.1–11.0 in) in length, including the elongated tail feathers, and weighing 20–33 g (0.71–1.16 oz). The upper back and wings are green, and the lower back and under-tail coverts are bright blue. The undersides of the wings and primary flight feathers are rufous to copper with green edges and tipped with black, and the tail is black to deep violet. The rainbow bee-eater's two central tail feathers are longer than the other tail feathers, and are longer... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Rainbow Bee-eater in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
Blue-throated Bee-eater
Merops viridis
Red-bearded Bee-eater
Nyctyornis amictus
Blue-eared Kingfisher
Alcedo meninting
Stork-billed Kingfisher
Pelargopsis capensis
Dollarbird
Eurystomus orientalis
Collared Kingfisher
Todiramphus chloris
Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher
Ceyx erithaca
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
Ruddy Kingfisher
Halcyon coromanda
Black-capped Kingfisher
Halcyon pileata
Banded Kingfisher
Lacedo pulchella
Rufous-collared Kingfisher
Actenoides concretus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 7 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Komodo National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 10 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 14 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 18 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 19 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Rainbow Bee-eater in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rainbow Bee-eater sighting in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Rainbow Bee-eater in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?
September has the highest sighting rate for Rainbow Bee-eater in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in our monthly data.