Whitethroated Bee-eater
Whitethroated Bee-eaterWhitethroated Bee-eaterWhitethroated Bee-eaterWhitethroated Bee-eater

Whitethroated Bee-eater

Merops albicollis

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Serengeti National Park
32 Verified sightings at Serengeti National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,464 Verified sightings across all 29 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Serengeti National Park

Little Bee-eater
LC

Little Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops pusillus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
European Bee-eater
LC

European Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops apiaster

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
White-fronted Bee-eater
LC

White-fronted Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops bullockoides

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
LC

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops oreobates

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
LC

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops persicus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Madagascar Bee-eater
LC

Madagascar Bee-eater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Merops superciliosus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Lilac-breasted Roller
LC

Lilac-breasted Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias caudatus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Striped Kingfisher
LC

Striped Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon chelicuti

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Gray-headed Kingfisher
LC

Gray-headed Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon leucocephala

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Woodland Kingfisher
LC

Woodland Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Halcyon senegalensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
European Roller
LC

European Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias garrulus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Pied Kingfisher
LC

Pied Kingfisher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ceryle rudis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~60%
2 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
3 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~20%
4 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
5 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
6 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
7 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
8 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
9 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
~10%
10 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
11 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
12 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
13 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
14 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
15 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
16 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
17 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
18 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
19 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
20 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
21 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
22 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
23 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
24 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
25 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
26 Volcanoes National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
27 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
28 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
29 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Whitethroated Bee-eater in Serengeti National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Whitethroated Bee-eater sighting in Serengeti National Park, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Whitethroated Bee-eater in Serengeti National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Whitethroated Bee-eater in Serengeti National Park in our monthly data.

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