Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus
- 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 →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Rufous-bellied Kookaburra
Dacelo gaudichaud
Dollarbird
Eurystomus orientalis
Beach Kingfisher
Todiramphus saurophagus
Common Paradise-Kingfisher
Tanysiptera galatea
Sacred Kingfisher
Todiramphus sanctus
Yellow-billed Kingfisher
Syma torotoro
Hook-billed Kingfisher
Melidora macrorrhina
Papuan Dwarf-Kingfisher
Ceyx solitarius
Blue-black Kingfisher
Todiramphus nigrocyaneus
Little Kingfisher
Ceyx pusillus
Kofiau Paradise-Kingfisher
Tanysiptera ellioti
Collared Kingfisher
Todiramphus chloris
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
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 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 13 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 18 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Rainbow Bee-eater in Raja Ampat?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rainbow Bee-eater sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 322 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Rainbow Bee-eater in Raja Ampat?
July has the highest sighting rate for Rainbow Bee-eater in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.