Blue-headed Bee-eater (Merops muelleri)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Blue-headed Bee-eater

Merops muelleri (Cassin, 1857)

22 gWeight

The blue-headed bee-eater (Merops muelleri) is a species of bird in the family Meropidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Kenya, Gabon, Congo - Brazzaville

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Blue-headed Bee-eater has been recorded at 12 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Kakamega Forest NRKenya330 records
  2. Kakamega Forest NR – Rondo Retreat CentreKenya207 records
  3. Kakamega Forest NR – Zimmerman Plot/Isecheno Forest StationKenya194 records
More places
  1. Kakamega Forest NR – Ikuywa RiverKenya52 records
  2. Parc de la LekediGabon10 records
  3. Ipassa Makokou Nature ReserveGabon8 records
  4. Ndzehe Concession - Ngaga CampCongo - Brazzaville3 records
  5. Odzala NP – Mboko CampCongo - Brazzaville2 records
  6. PN de la LopéGabon2 records
  7. Dzanga-Sangha NP – Dzanga BaiCentral African Republic1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaGabonCongo - BrazzavilleEquatorial GuineaCentral African Republic

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-headed bee-eater (Merops muelleri) is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is found in forest habitats in tropical West and Central Africa, including in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Kenya.

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

Questions

How big is the Blue-headed Bee-eater?

The Blue-headed Bee-eater weighs around 22 g.

Where does the Blue-headed Bee-eater live?

Its breeding range: Africa: southern Cameroon to western Kenya. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Gabon and Congo - Brazzaville.

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

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

Is the Blue-headed Bee-eater endangered?

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

What does the Blue-headed Bee-eater eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

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

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

At a glance

Weight
22 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
86 mm
Tail
74 mm
Bill
32 mm
Tarsus
11 mm

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

Range

Africa: southern Cameroon to western Kenya

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-moustached Bee-eaterBlue-moustached Bee-eaterMerops mentalisBlack Bee-eaterBlack Bee-eaterMerops gularisSwallow-tailed Bee-eaterSwallow-tailed Bee-eaterMerops hirundineusLittle Bee-eaterLittle Bee-eaterMerops pusillusBlue-breasted Bee-eaterBlue-breasted Bee-eaterMerops variegatusEthiopian 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-headed Bee-eater

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

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