Cinnamon-chested bee-eater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cinnamon-chested bee-eater |
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| Kakamega Forest, Kenya | |
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| Genus: |
Merops
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| Species: |
oreobates
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The cinnamon-chested bee-eater (Merops oreobates) is a colorful bird from the Meropidae family, also known as bee-eaters. These amazing birds live in several countries in Africa, including Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
What Does the Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Look Like?
This bird is about 22 centimetres (8.7 in) long, which is roughly the length of a ruler. It weighs between 17 and 38 grams (0.60 and 1.34 oz), which is lighter than a tennis ball. Both male and female birds look the same.
They have bright green feathers on their heads, backs, and tails. Their throats and chins are yellow, with a black line around them. A white patch extends from their throat to the side of their face. Their chest is a warm cinnamon-brown color, which gets darker towards their belly.
When a cinnamon-chested bee-eater sits, it stands upright. Its tail points downwards. The tail is mostly green from the back. When it spreads its tail, you can see black edges. From the front, the tail looks blackish with an orange base and a white tip.
You can tell this bird apart from the little bee-eater because it is bigger. It also has darker colors and white patches on its cheeks. Plus, it lives in higher, mountain areas.
Where Does It Live and What Does It Eat?
The cinnamon-chested bee-eater lives in high-up areas, usually between 1,800 and 2,300 metres (5,900 and 7,500 ft) above sea level. You can find them in wooded hillsides and at the edges of forests. They also live in clearings, plantations, and even gardens.
These birds are great hunters of flying insects. Their favorite food is honeybees! But they also enjoy eating other insects like moths, butterflys, dragonflys, and beetles.
This species is very good at adapting to different places. It seems to be able to live even if some of its forest home is lost.
Is the Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Endangered?
The cinnamon-chested bee-eater lives across a very large area. Scientists haven't counted exactly how many there are. However, they believe the total number of these birds is very large.
Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has given them a conservation status of "least concern". This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
