Merops apiaster
European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)
Featured photoeuropean-bee-eater.jpgMerops apiaster, the European bee-eater, is a medium-sized bee-eater of the family Meropidae, distributed across southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia. Adults are 27 to 29 cm long with a wingspan of 44 to 49 cm and weigh 44 to 78 g. The plumage is among the most spectacular of any European bird — chestnut crown and back, golden lower back, turquoise underparts, yellow throat, and elongated central tail feathers. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. The species is named for its specialization on bees, wasps, and other Hymenoptera.
Quick facts
- Habitat
- Open country with sandy banks for nest excavation — river valleys, agricultural margins, and steppe edges. The species depends on both abundant flying-insect prey and earthen banks suitable for burrow nesting.
- Range
- Southern Europe (Iberia, southern France, Italy, the Balkans), North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia east to Mongolia. Winters across most of sub-Saharan Africa and southern South Africa. The breeding range has expanded north into central Europe over recent decades.
- Size
- 27–29 cm body · 44–49 cm wingspan · 44–78 g
- Plumage
- Adults show a chestnut crown and upper back shading to bright golden-yellow on the lower back, turquoise underparts, a bright yellow throat bordered above by a thin black line through the eye, and bright turquoise wings. The central tail feathers are elongated into thin pointed extensions about three centimetres beyond the rest of the tail. Both sexes look alike. Juveniles show duller plumage with shorter tail extensions.
- Song
- A liquid 'prruip' or 'krruip' contact call delivered by flying flocks — the most familiar voice of the species. Calls are exchanged continuously by foraging birds and serve as flight contact signals. The species is highly vocal during the breeding season at colonies.
- Migration
- Long-distance migrant. European and Asian breeders winter across most of sub-Saharan Africa and southern South Africa. Migration is typically in flocks of dozens to hundreds; the autumn passage is one of the most spectacular bird-migration spectacles across southern Europe.
- Conservation
- Least Concern (LC)
Overview
Merops apiaster is one of about thirty Merops bee-eater species worldwide. The species is the most widely distributed bee-eater in Europe and Asia and is the textbook bee-eater of European bird-watching culture. The Latin epithet 'apiaster' is from 'apis' (bee) — both the scientific and English names directly reference the species' Hymenoptera-based diet.
Distribution and range expansion
The breeding range covers southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia. Over recent decades the species has expanded north into central Europe, with breeding records now established in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and other northern countries that historically lacked the species. The range expansion likely tracks warmer summers under continued climate warming. Wintering grounds are spread across sub-Saharan Africa and reach southern South Africa.
Bee specialization
European bee-eaters are obligate aerial insectivores specialized on bees, wasps, and other Hymenoptera. Captured stinging insects are processed before swallowing — the bird carries the prey to a perch, beats and rubs it against the perch surface to remove the sting, and only then swallows it. The technique allows the species to take quantities of bee and wasp prey that no other European bird can safely handle. Some commercial beekeepers have historically regarded the species as a nuisance, although the impact on hive populations is generally modest.
Sources & further reading (2)
- iucn-red-list — accessed 2026-04-30
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-30
Frequently asked questions
How does a bee-eater eat stinging insects safely?
Captured bees, wasps, and hornets are processed before swallowing. The bird carries the prey to a perch, beats it against the perch repeatedly, and rubs the abdomen against the surface to remove the sting and venom apparatus. Only after the sting is removed does the bird swallow the prey. The technique allows the species to take stinging-insect prey at quantities and sizes that would be dangerous to most other birds.
Why are bee-eaters expanding their range north?
European bee-eater breeding records have steadily moved north into central and northern Europe over recent decades — the species now breeds in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries where it was previously a vagrant. The expansion likely tracks warmer summers under continued climate warming, which provide both adequate insect prey and successful breeding-season weather. The species is one of several southern European birds whose range edge has shifted north in recent decades.
Why do bee-eaters have such bright plumage?
European bee-eaters are among the most colourful European birds — chestnut, gold, turquoise, and yellow plumage. The colouration is partly structural (the turquoise from feather microstructure scattering light) and partly carotenoid-pigmented (the yellow and chestnut from dietary carotenoids). The bright plumage probably functions in conspecific signalling rather than crypsis — the species is an open-country aerial forager that does not depend on background-matching camouflage.
