Coraciiformes / Meropidae / Merops
Asian Green Bee-eater
Merops orientalis · 绿喉蜂虎
Introduction
A bird species in the bee-eater family, resident or with short-distance seasonal movements. Found widely distributed across Asia from coastal southern Iran east through the Indian subcontinent to Vietnam. Mainly insect eaters found in grassland, thin scrub, and forest, often quite far from water.
Description
Slender, richly coloured bird, 16–18 cm (6.3–7.1 in) long excluding elongated central tail-feathers, which are an additional 7 cm (2.8 in) long. Entire plumage is bright green, tinged with blue on chin and throat; crown and upper back tinged with golden rufous. Flight feathers are rufous washed with green and tipped with blackish. Fine black eyestripe runs in front of and behind the eye; slender black crescent at top of breast below throat. Iris is crimson, bill black, legs dark grey. Feet weak, three toes joined at base. Southeast Asian birds have rufous crown and face, green underparts; western subspecies has greener crown, bluer face, bluish underparts. In flight, wings are bronzed coppery-green above, coppery-orange below. Juveniles are paler, duller, lack elongated tail feathers and black throat crescent, with yellow-tinged throat. Sexes are alike.
Identification
Key marks include bright green plumage, black eyestripe, black breast crescent, and elongated central tail feathers. Distinctive nasal trill call 'tree-tree-tree-tree', usually given in flight. Similar species formerly considered conspecific include African and Arabian green bee-eaters.
Distribution & Habitat
Widely distributed across Asia from coastal southern Iran east through the Indian subcontinent to Vietnam. Resident in lowlands of South Asia; some populations move seasonally, moving away to drier regions in rainy season and warmer regions in winter. Summer visitors in parts of Pakistan. Found in open country with bushes, grassland, thin scrub, and forest, often far from water. Mostly seen in plains but found up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in Himalayas.
Behavior & Ecology
Predominantly eats insects, especially bees, wasps, ants, and beetles, caught in air by sorties from open perch. Removes stings and breaks exoskeleton by thrashing prey on perch. Hunts from low perches, fence wires, or electric wires. Sluggish in mornings, huddling on wires. Sand-bathes frequently; sometimes dips into water in flight. Usually seen in small groups; roosts communally in large numbers (200–300). Breeding season March to June. Solitary nesters making tunnel in sandy bank or vertical mud banks, up to 1.5 metres (5 ft) long. Clutch of 3–5 spherical, glossy white eggs laid on bare ground. Both sexes incubate; incubation period about 14 days; chicks fledge in 3–4 weeks. Often joined by helpers. Capable of interpreting human observer behavior to protect nest location.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Meropidae
- Genus
- Merops
Vocalizations
Subspecies (4)
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Merops orientalis beludschicus
northern end of Persian Gulf to Baluchistan and western India
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
