Description ⁴

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It has brown and yellow upper parts, whilst the wings are green and the beak is black. It can reach a length of 27–29 cm (10.6–11.4 in), including the two elongated central tail feathers. Sexes are alike. Female tends to have greener rather than gold feathers on shoulders. Non-breeding plumage is much duller and with a blue-green back and no elongated central tail feathers. Juvenile resembles a non-breeding adult, but with less variation in the feather colours. Adults begin to moult in June or July and complete the process by August or September. There is a further moult into breeding plumage in winter in Africa.

Distribution of Merops apiaster (Photo 12) ⁵

Orange : Breeding range

Yellow : Non breeding range

Green : Residental range

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Aleksandar, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Aleksandar
2. (c) Klaus Rassinger, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merops_apiaster_MWNH_1186.JPG
3. (c) Netzach, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merops_apiaster_en.png
4. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_bee-eater
5. (c) Aleksandar, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• NBN Atlas
• VertNet
• Xeno-canto

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