White-throated bee-eater facts for kids

Quick facts for kids White-throated bee-eater
male and female in Kenya and Uganda respectively
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Coraciiformes
Family:	Meropidae
Genus:	Merops
Species:	M. albicollis
Binomial name
Merops albicollis Vieillot, 1817
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Synonyms
Aerops albicollis

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The white-throated bee-eater (its scientific name is Merops albicollis) is a colorful bird from the bee-eater family. It lives in Africa. These birds make their homes in dry, sandy areas along the southern edge of the Sahara desert.

When winter comes, white-throated bee-eaters fly south. They travel to the warm, wet rainforests near the equator. This journey takes them from countries like Senegal all the way to Uganda.

What Does It Look Like?

Male in flight

Like other bee-eaters, this bird is very colorful and has a slim body. Its feathers are mostly green. But its face and throat are white. It has a black cap on its head, a black stripe across its eyes, and a black band around its neck.

The bird's belly is a light green color. This color changes to blue on its chest. It has bright red eyes and a black beak.

White-throated bee-eaters are about 19 to 21 centimeters (7.5 to 8.3 inches) long. They also have two very long tail feathers. These feathers can add another 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) to their length! They usually weigh between 20 and 28 grams. Males and females look alike, but the male's tail feathers are longer. Their calls sound similar to the European bee-eater.

What Do They Eat?

White-throated bee-eaters like to eat and rest together in groups. As their name suggests, these birds mainly eat insects. They especially love bees, wasps, and hornets. They catch these insects while flying in the air. They often wait on a branch and then fly out to grab their meal.

However, this type of bee-eater also eats a lot of flying ants and beetles.

Home Sweet Home: Nesting and Reproduction

White-throated bee-eaters build their nests in dry, open areas. This includes places with thorny bushes or areas that are almost desert-like. These birds are very social. They nest together in large groups called colonies. They often dig their nests in sandy banks or flat, open ground.

They dig a long tunnel for their nest, usually 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) deep. Inside, the female lays 6 to 7 round, white eggs. Both the male and female birds help take care of the eggs. What's cool is that up to five other helper birds also assist in raising the young!

Are They Safe? Conservation Status

The white-throated bee-eater is found across a very large area. It is a common bird. Because of this, experts have listed it as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.