Rosy bee-eater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rosy bee-eater |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Coraciiformes |
| Family: | Meropidae |
| Genus: | Merops |
| Species: |
M. malimbicus
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| Binomial name | |
| Merops malimbicus Shaw, 1806
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The rosy bee-eater (Merops malimbicus) is a beautiful type of bird. It belongs to a group of birds called bee-eaters. You can find these colorful birds in parts of Africa. They live in countries like Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. They also live in Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ivory Coast. Other homes include Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, and Togo.
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About Its Name: Taxonomy
Scientists give every living thing a special name. This helps everyone know exactly which animal they are talking about. The rosy bee-eater got its scientific name, Merops malimbicus, in 1806. An English naturalist named George Shaw first described it. He found it near a place called Malimbe in Angola.
Scientists have studied the rosy bee-eater's DNA. This helps them understand its family tree. They found that it is closely related to two other bee-eaters. These are the white-throated bee-eater and the northern carmine bee-eater.
What Does It Look Like?
The rosy bee-eater is a very striking bird. It grows to be about 22 to 25 centimeters (9 to 10 inches) long. Its long tail feathers add another 5 centimeters (2 inches). This bird weighs around 45 grams (1.6 ounces). Both male and female birds look very similar.
Its head has a dark grey top and a black mask around its eyes. Its chin and cheeks are white. The back of its neck is black, and its wings are slate-grey. The lower back is a lighter grey. Its tail is a bright carmine red, fading to grey at the end.
The most amazing part is its bright pink throat and belly. The feathers under its tail are grey. The underside of its wing and tail feathers are shiny black. It has a black beak, reddish-brown eyes, and yellowish-brown legs. Young rosy bee-eaters look like the adults but are a bit paler.
Life and Habits: What They Eat and How They Live
Like all bee-eaters, this bird loves to eat insects. It catches them in a cool way. It will swoop down from a branch to grab an insect. Or, it might fly around in the air, catching bugs on the go. They hunt for food in many different places. You can see them near water, over grassy plains, or above forests. Sometimes they fly very high in the sky.
A big part of their diet is flying ants. But they also enjoy eating bees, butterflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, flies, and beetles. Sometimes, many rosy bee-eaters fly together in large groups to find food. They even dip into the water while flying to take a bath!
Nesting and Reproduction
Rosy bee-eaters build their nests on raised beaches and sandbars. These are found along big rivers when the water level drops. They dig holes in the sand using their feet. These tunnels can be about 2 meters (6.5 feet) long.
Only a few nesting places are known, but they can be huge! Some colonies might have between 8,000 and 27,300 nests. That's a lot of birds living close together! There can be about two nesting holes in every square meter of sand. These birds might use the same nesting spot year after year. But if the nests get flooded during the rainy season, they have to dig new ones.
 | Bayard Rustin |
 | Jeannette Carter |
 | Jeremiah A. Brown |
