European Bee-eater vs Black Bee-eater
Merops apiaster compared with Merops gularis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | European Bee-eater | Black Bee-eater |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Merops apiaster | Merops gularis |
| Order | Coraciiformes | Coraciiformes |
| Family | Meropidae | Meropidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 28.0 cm (11.0 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 38.0 cm (15.0 in) | 17.4 cm (6.9 in) |
| Weight | 56.0 g (1.98 oz) | 28.0 g (0.99 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily bees, wasps, and hornets caught in flight. Removes stingers by beating prey against a … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 4-10 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
European Bee-eater
Open country with scattered trees, sandy banks, and river cliffs for nesting. Breeds in colonies in tunnels dug into earth banks.
Song & Call Comparison
European Bee-eater
A liquid, melodic 'pruik-pruik' or rolling 'prruup-pruup' in flight. Flocks give a distinctive far-carrying bubbling call audible before birds are seen. Considered a pleasant sound.
Black Bee-eater
Geographic Range & Migration
European Bee-eater
Southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Winters in tropical Africa. A long-distance migrant.
Black Bee-eater
Conservation Status
European Bee-eater
Black Bee-eater
How to Tell Them Apart
European Bee-eater
Richly colored with a chestnut-brown crown and back, golden-yellow scapulars, turquoise-blue underparts, and a black eye stripe. Central tail feathers are elongated.
Long, slender, slightly decurved black bill
Black Bee-eater
About These Birds
European Bee-eater
The European bee-eater is one of the most colorful birds in Europe, displaying a rainbow palette of chestnut, gold, and turquoise. True to their name, bee-eaters specialize in catching venomous insects, skillfully removing the stinger before consumption. They nest in colonies, excavating tunnel burrows up to two meters into sandy banks.
Black Bee-eater
The Black Bee-eater is a vividly colored bird of West and Central African rainforests, distinguished by its deep black plumage relieved by a brilliant scarlet throat and turquoise-blue rump and tail. It inhabits the canopy and edges of lowland tropical forests from Sierra Leone east to Uganda. Like other bee-eaters, it sallies from exposed perches to capture bees, wasps, and other flying insects in midair.