Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
Merops leschenaulti
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyMeropidae (Bee-eaters)
- GenusMerops (Typical Bee-eaters)
- SpeciesMerops leschenaulti (Chestnut-headed Bee-eater)
About the Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
The chestnut-headed bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti), or bay-headed bee-eater, is a bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It breeds on the Indian subcontinent and adjoining regions, ranging from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka across Southeast Asia to Indonesia.
This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green, with blue on the rump and lower belly. Its face and throat are yellow with a black eye stripe, and the crown and nape are rich chestnut. The thin curved bill is black. Sexes are alike, but young birds are duller. It is 18–20 cm long and lacks the two elongated central tail feathers possessed by most of its relatives.
The chestnut-headed bee-eater was formally described in 1817 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot under the current binomial name Merops leschenaulti. He specified the locality as Java. This was an error as this species does not occur there, and the locality has been designated as Sri Lanka. The specific epithet was chosen to honour the French naturalist and collector Jean-Baptiste Leschenault de La Tour who had brought Vieillot's specimen to France.
Three subspecies are recognised: M... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Chestnut-headed Bee-eater in Nagarhole National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Nagarhole National Park
Asian Green Bee-eater
Merops orientalis
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Merops philippinus
Blue-bearded Bee-eater
Nyctyornis athertoni
White-throated Kingfisher
Halcyon smyrnensis
Indian Roller
Coracias benghalensis
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
Stork-billed Kingfisher
Pelargopsis capensis
Dollarbird
Eurystomus orientalis
Blue-eared Kingfisher
Alcedo meninting
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Chestnut-headed Bee-eater in Nagarhole National Park?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut-headed Bee-eater sighting in Nagarhole National Park, based on 456 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Chestnut-headed Bee-eater in Nagarhole National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Chestnut-headed Bee-eater in Nagarhole National Park in our monthly data.