Purple-bearded Bee-eater

Meropogon forsteni Bonaparte, 1850

25–26 cmLength55 gWeight

The purple-bearded bee-eater or Celebes bee-eater (Meropogon forsteni) is a species of bee-eater endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Busiest months: September · Most records: Indonesia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Purple-bearded Bee-eater has been recorded at 6 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Lore Lindu NPIndonesia99 records
Lore Lindu NP – Lake Tambing vicinityIndonesia38 records
Dumoga-Bone (Bogani Nani Wartabone) NP – TorautIndonesia2 records

More places

Gunung MahawuIndonesia2 records
Tangkoko Batuangus NR – Forest andIndonesia2 records
Tangkoko Batuangas NR – overlookIndonesia1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

Indonesia

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 purple-bearded bee-eater or Celebes bee-eater (Meropogon forsteni) is a species of bee-eater endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. This species is often seen in clearings inside dense forest.

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

Questions

How big is the Purple-bearded Bee-eater?

The Purple-bearded Bee-eater is about 25–26 cm long and weighs around 55 g.

Where does the Purple-bearded Bee-eater live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: montane northern, central, southeastern Sulawesi. It is most often recorded in Indonesia.

When is the best time to see the Purple-bearded Bee-eater?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Purple-bearded Bee-eater endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Purple-bearded Bee-eater as Least Concern.

What does the Purple-bearded Bee-eater eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Purple-bearded Bee-eater in?

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

At a glance

Length: 25–26 cm
Weight: 55 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 113 mm
Tail: 168 mm
Bill: 46 mm
Tarsus: 14 mm

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

Range

Australasia: montane northern, central, southeastern Sulawesi

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Bee-eaters Meropidae
Genus: Meropogon

More from the family Bee-eaters

Red-bearded Bee-eaterNyctyornis amictus

Blue-bearded Bee-eaterNyctyornis athertoni

Black-headed Bee-eaterMerops breweri

Blue-headed Bee-eaterMerops muelleri

Blue-moustached Bee-eaterMerops mentalis

Black Bee-eaterMerops gularis

Swallow-tailed Bee-eaterMerops hirundineus

Little Bee-eaterMerops pusillus

Blue-breasted Bee-eaterMerops variegatus

Ethiopian Bee-eaterMerops lafresnayii

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

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