Swallow-tailed bee-eater facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swallow-tailed bee-eater
M. hirundineus hirundineus Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa
M. hirundineus chrysolaimus Senegal
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Meropidae
Genus:	Merops
Species:	M. hirundineus
Binomial name
Merops hirundineus Lichtenstein, AAH, 1793
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Synonyms
Dicrocercus hirundineus

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A young Swallow-tailed Bee-eater in Namibia.

A Swallow-tailed Bee-eater in The Gambia.

The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater (scientific name: Merops hirundineus) is a beautiful bird known for its bright colors and unique tail. It belongs to the bee-eater family, called Meropidae. These birds are found across Africa, south of the Sahara Desert.

What Does a Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Look Like?

This bird is very colorful and slim. It's easy to spot because of its bright feathers and its special forked tail, which looks a bit like a swallow's tail. The bird is mostly green. It has a bright yellow throat, a blue patch on its chest (called a gorget), and a black stripe across its eyes. Its beak is also black.

Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters can grow to be about 20 to 22 centimeters (8 to 9 inches) long. This length includes their long, forked tail feathers, which can be green or blue. Both male and female birds look very similar.

Where Do Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters Live?

These birds live in the savannah woodlands of Africa, below the Sahara Desert. They prefer areas with more trees compared to some other bee-eater species.

Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters are partly migratory. This means they move from one place to another depending on the rainfall. They follow the rain to find the best places for food and nesting.

How Do Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters Behave?

Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters are quite friendly and often let people get close to them. Just like their name suggests, these birds love to eat insects. Their favorite foods are bees, wasps, and hornets. They catch these insects while flying, often darting out from a branch where they were resting. The Swallow-tailed Bee-eater especially likes to eat honeybees.

Nesting and Social Life

These bee-eaters usually nest as single pairs or in very small groups. They build their nests in sandy banks or other flat ground. They dig a long tunnel where the female lays 2 to 4 round, white eggs.

Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters also like to feed and rest together in groups.