European Bee-eater vs Black-headed Bee-eater

Merops apiaster comparé à Merops breweri

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribut European Bee-eater Black-headed Bee-eater
Nom scientifique Merops apiaster Merops breweri
Ordre Coraciiformes Coraciiformes
Famille Meropidae Meropidae
Statut de conservation Least Concern Least Concern
Longueur 28,0 cm (11.0 in)
Envergure 38,0 cm (15.0 in) 24,3 cm (9.6 in)
Poids 56,0 g (1.98 oz) 50,0 g (1.76 oz)
Régime alimentaire Primarily bees, wasps, and hornets caught in flight. Removes stingers by beating prey against a … --
Taille de la couvée 4-10 2-3
Population Trend

Size Comparison

Body Length
European Bee-eater 28,0 cm
Black-headed Bee-eater
Envergure
European Bee-eater 38,0 cm
Black-headed Bee-eater 24,3 cm
Poids
European Bee-eater 56,0 g
Black-headed Bee-eater 50,0 g

Habitat Comparison

Habitats partagés

Aucun(e)

European Bee-eater only

Black-headed Bee-eater only

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

Chant

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-headed Bee-eater

Geographic Range & Migration

European Bee-eater

Southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Winters in tropical Africa. A long-distance migrant.

Black-headed Bee-eater

Statut de conservation

Least Concern

European Bee-eater

Least Concern

Black-headed Bee-eater

How to Tell Them Apart

European Bee-eater

Plumage

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.

Bec

Long, slender, slightly decurved black bill

Black-headed 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-headed Bee-eater

The Black-headed Bee-eater is a large, striking bee-eater with a black head, a brilliant green back, and vivid red-chestnut underparts. It inhabits the forest-savanna transition zone and forest clearings in west-central Africa, particularly Cameroon, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Like other bee-eaters, it hunts bees, wasps, and other flying insects, catching them in aerial sallies from exposed perches.

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