Good light shows this bird’s electric blue belly and bright red throat off in stunning fashion.

Meet the Black Bee-eater

Bram ter Keurs at observado.org, a global biodiversity recording project. (cropped) is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

The black bee-eater (Merops gularis) is a bird that grows to around 20 cm (20 inches) in length. He is a predominantly black bird, with a scarlet chin and throat, wearing a heavily streaked breast and belly that is flecked in turquoise/blue. He has pale blue eyebrows, tail coverts, and rump.

Photo Courtesy of Francesco Veronesi/CC BY-SA 2.0

Males and females look almost identical.

While out of the breeding season these birds appear greener.

This species can be found throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Throughout its range, this bird prefers to inhabit intra – tropical rainforests.

As their name suggests Black bee-eaters dine on flying insects.

There is little available detail on the nesting habits of this bird. However, most bee-eaters are known to be gregarious. They form colonies, nesting in burrows tunneled into vertical sandy banks, often at the side of a river or on flat ground. As they mostly live in colonies, large numbers of nest holes may be seen together. The eggs are white, with typically five to the clutch.

The black bee-eater has an extensive range, and although the population size has not been quantified, it is said to be widespread and common with a large total population. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of “least concern.”

Watch this bird right here in the video below: