Black-headed bee-eater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-headed bee-eater |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Merops
|
| Species: |
breweri
|
The black-headed bee-eater (Merops breweri) is a special type of bird. It belongs to a family of birds called Meropidae, which are known for eating insects.
You can find this bird living in the tropical forests of Central and West Africa. Its home includes countries like Angola, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Sudan.
What Does it Look Like?
An adult black-headed bee-eater is about 25 to 28 centimeters (10 to 11 inches) long. This measurement does not include its long tail streamers, which can add another 8 centimeters (3 inches)!
Both male and female birds look very similar. It's easy to spot them because they have a unique look. They have a black head, bright green feathers on their back, wings, and tail. Their chest and belly are a light, sandy color, with a reddish-brown band across the lower chest.
Younger birds, called juveniles, have a black chin and throat. Other bee-eaters in the same forests, like the black bee-eater or the blue-headed bee-eater, are much smaller and have different colors.
The black-headed bee-eater is quite brave and doesn't mind people getting close. If you get a good look, you can see its bright red eye! When it flies, you can see green feathers in the middle of its tail and reddish-brown feathers on the edges.
What Does it Eat and How Does it Live?
The black-headed bee-eater usually lives alone, or sometimes in a pair or a group of three. After they have babies, you might see them in small family groups.
About half of what they eat are honey bees and other types of bees and wasps. The other half of their diet includes insects like beetles, dragonflies, butterflies, moths, and cicadas.
This bird is very good at hiding! It can sit quietly on a branch in the middle part of the forest, almost invisible. But when an insect flies by, it quickly darts out to catch it in mid-air.
Is it Safe? (Conservation Status)
The black-headed bee-eater lives across a very large area. However, it is not a common bird to see. Scientists believe its numbers might be slowly going down. This can happen because of things like birds getting caught in traps, or their nesting holes being blocked.
Even though its population is decreasing a little, there are still many of these birds in the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) checks on animals to see if they are in danger. They have decided that the black-headed bee-eater is a "least concern" species. This means it is not currently at high risk of disappearing.
