Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
bee-eater
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Bee-eater
European bee-eaters' journey to parenthood
Courtship rituals of European bee-eaters and rollers
carmine bee-eater yellow bee-eaters
Quizzes
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
Animal Group Names
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)
Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz
Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)
Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz
turkey vulture. vulture. Close-up of a head and beak of a Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura).
A Little Bird Told Me
Read Next
Common, or southern, cassowary (Casuarius casuarius).
8 Birds That Can’t Fly
Black-headed gulls perching on a roof with bird droppings, often seen in flocks around London, England, in winter time. The "black head" develops during the breeding season. (black headed, birds, guano, bird poop)
Do Birds Pee?
animal. Amphibian. Frog. Anura. Ranidae. Frog in grass.
Abundant Animals: The Most Numerous Organisms in the World
Rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) photographed in the Midwest in 2017. endangered species insect pollination
What Would Happen If All the Bees Died?
Spider monkey swinging in a tree. (primate, jungle animal)
Why Do Animals Have Tails?
Discover
New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.
Why Is It Called Black Friday?
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
A human Inuit skull in a stone chambered cairn in Ilulissat in Greenland. These ancient graves are pre christian and are at least 2000
14 Tough Questions Answered
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Alice in Wonderland)
11 Banned Books Through Time
Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army
8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century
Thanksgiving Celebration Traditional Dinner Setting Food Concept
Why Is Thanksgiving in the U.S. Celebrated on a Thursday?
Thumbnail for flags that look alike quiz Russia, Slovenia, Iceland, Norway
Flags That Look Alike
Bee-eater
Bee-eater Bee-eater (Merops apiaster).

bee-eater

bird
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/animal/bee-eater
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Meropidae
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
European bee-eaters' journey to parenthood
1 of 2
European bee-eaters' journey to parenthoodLearn about the European bee-eater.
See all videos for this article
Courtship rituals of European bee-eaters and rollers
2 of 2
Courtship rituals of European bee-eaters and rollersLearn about the courtship rituals of European bee-eaters and European rollers.
See all videos for this article

bee-eater, any of about 25 species of brightly coloured birds of the family Meropidea (order Coraciiformes). Found throughout tropical and subtropical Eurasia, Africa, and Australasia (one species, Merops apiaster, occasionally reaches the British Isles), bee-eaters range in length from 15 to 35 cm (6 to 14 inches).

carmine bee-eater
carmine bee-eaterCarmine bee-eater (Merops nubicus).

The bee-eater’s bill is moderately long, slightly downcurved, and sharply pointed. Brilliant plumage is characteristic; green predominates, but many species are partially coloured with red, yellow, blue, or purple. Many have elongated central tail feathers. Bee-eaters feed on bees, wasps, and other insects.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.