Blue-breasted Bee-eater (Merops variegatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Blue-breasted Bee-eater

Merops variegatus Vieillot, 1817

21 cmLength22 gWeight

The blue-breasted bee-eater (Merops variegatus) is a central African species of bird.

Busiest months: July · Most records: Uganda, Gabon, Congo - Brazzaville

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Blue-breasted Bee-eater has been recorded at 69 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 10 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Mabamba SwampUganda875 records
  2. Mabamba Swamp – Main channelUganda272 records
  3. Lutembe Bay Ramsar SiteUganda73 records
More places
  1. Nyonié – Chez BétiGabon58 records
  2. Murchison Falls NP – North sideUganda41 records
  3. PN de la LopéGabon39 records
  4. Entebbe Botanical GardenUganda33 records
  5. PN de la Lopé – La Lopé LodgeGabon29 records
  6. Lesio-Louna Reserve – Iboubikro and track to MahCongo - Brazzaville26 records
  7. Lake Mburo NPUganda22 records

Countries and regions with the most records

UgandaGabonCongo - BrazzavilleZambiaRwandaCongo - KinshasaCentral African RepublicCameroon

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The blue-breasted bee-eater (Merops variegatus) is a central African species of bird. It is a member of the family Meropidae. Meropids are all visually similar and have a diet specialized in Hymenopterans.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Blue-breasted Bee-eater?

The Blue-breasted Bee-eater is about 21 cm long and weighs around 22 g.

Where does the Blue-breasted Bee-eater live?

Its breeding range: Africa: southeastern Nigeria to Angola and eastern Africa. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Gabon and Congo - Brazzaville.

When is the best time to see the Blue-breasted Bee-eater?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Blue-breasted Bee-eater endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Blue-breasted Bee-eater as Least Concern.

What does the Blue-breasted Bee-eater eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Blue-breasted Bee-eater in?

It belongs to the family Bee-eaters (Meropidae), order Coraciiformes.

At a glance

Length
21 cm
Weight
22 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
90 mm
Tail
76 mm
Bill
32 mm
Tarsus
11 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: southeastern Nigeria to Angola and eastern Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Bee-eaters Meropidae
Genus
Merops

Other birds in the genus Merops

Black-headed Bee-eaterBlack-headed Bee-eaterMerops breweriBlue-headed Bee-eaterBlue-headed Bee-eaterMerops muelleriBlue-moustached Bee-eaterBlue-moustached Bee-eaterMerops mentalisBlack Bee-eaterBlack Bee-eaterMerops gularisSwallow-tailed Bee-eaterSwallow-tailed Bee-eaterMerops hirundineusLittle Bee-eaterLittle Bee-eaterMerops pusillusEthiopian Bee-eaterEthiopian Bee-eaterMerops lafresnayiiCinnamon-chested Bee-eaterCinnamon-chested Bee-eaterMerops oreobatesRed-throated Bee-eaterRed-throated Bee-eaterMerops bulockiWhite-fronted Bee-eaterWhite-fronted Bee-eaterMerops bullockoidesSomali Bee-eaterSomali Bee-eaterMerops revoiliiWhite-throated Bee-eaterWhite-throated Bee-eaterMerops albicollis
Blue-breasted Bee-eater

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Xavier Rufray. ↗

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