Open country with scattered trees, sandy banks, and river cliffs for nesting. Breeds in colonies in tunnels dug into earth banks.
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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
European Bee-eater
鸣唱
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
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Geographic Range & Migration
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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
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Conservation Status Comparison
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保护状况
Least Concern
European Bee-eater
Least Concern
Black-headed Bee-eater
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
European Bee-eater
羽毛
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.
喙
Long, slender, slightly decurved black bill
Black-headed Bee-eater
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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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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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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