BLUE-THROATED BEE-EATER

Photographed on Langkawi, Malaysia, April 2017

(*   884)             BLUE-THROATED BEE-EATER                  Merops viridis

MALAYSIA                 58

Frequents open habitats, such as beach scrubs, forming tin-mining areas, and rice fields. 23 cm. Found from S China to Southeast Asia. Common breeding visitor to Malaysia.

CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER

Photographed on Langkawi, April 2017

(*   839)               CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER               Merops leschenaulti

MALAYSIA                21

Found in open broad-leafed, evergreen, semi-evergreen and mixed deciduous forest and bamboo, forest edge and clearings, coastal scrubs, mangrove, island forests, sometimes plantations up to 1,830 m. 21-22.5 cm. Fairly common resident in northern Malaysian Peninsula, uncommon non-breeding visitor to the south.

BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER

Subspecies javanicus, photographed March 2017

(*  837)                 BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER                Merops philippinus

SRI LANKA               71

Found in open areas and forests. 23-26 cm. Fairly common winter migrants throughout Sri Lanka, also small flocks breed in eastern dry lowlands.

CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER

Subspecies leschenaulti, photographed March 2017

(*  839)               CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER                Merops leschenaulti 

SRI LANKA               68

Found in forests, thinly wooded areas and open country with trees. 18-20 cm. Rather uncommon breeding resident locally from lowlands to mid hills.     

GREEN BEE-EATER

Subspecies ceylonicus, photographed March 2017

(* 987)                 GREEN BEE-EATER                  Merops orientalis

SRI LANKA                   33 

Found in open country. 16-18 cm. Common breeding resident from dry lowlands up to drier low hills; really visits the wet zone.

CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER

Photographed in Chitwen National Park, Nepal, March 2017

(*  839)                    CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER               Merops leschenaulti

NEPAL              140

Open broadleaf forest, often near water. 18-20 cm. mainly a summer visitor, some resident at lower altitudes.

GREEN BEE-EATER

Photographed at Koshi Tappu, Nepal March 2017

987      GREEN BEE-EATER                  Merops orientalis

NEPAL                36      

Found in open country with scattered trees. 16-18 cm. Common and widespread resident and summer visitor.

BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER

(see    837)         BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER           Merops philippinus

SINGAPORE             (24)

Found in secondary forest, forest edge, scrub, old plantations, parkland and even urban gardens. 30 cm. Indian sub-continent, S China, mainland Southeast Asia and Greater Sundas east to Philippines and New Guinea. Migratory.

BLUE-THROATED BEE-EATER

Photographed in Singapore November 2016

(884)              BLUE-THROATED BEE-EATER                   Merops viridis  

SINGAPORE        (8)        

Found in open country, borders of large rivers, cultivation, sometimes parks and gardens; also forest clearings and edges, and mangroves. 22.5-23.5 cm. Found in Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER

Photographed in north-west Bali October 2016

(839)              CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER              Merops leschenaulti  

INDONESIA (Bali)         (53)        

Prefers dry woodlands and savanna with scattered trees, never inhabits closed forest; often on coastal lowlands. 20 cms. Range:Oriental region: widespread but generally scare resident on Sumatra, Java and Bali; Indonesia southern limit of its distribution.

BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER

Photographed in north-west Bali October 2016

837         BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER   Merops philippinus

INDONESIA (Bali)         (50)        

Open country bird seen mainly during northern winter; frequents fields and marshes with scattered trees. 30cms. Range: oriental region, east to New Guinea; partly migratory; Locally and seasonally common winter visitor in the Sudra subregion and Nusa Tenggara; resident on Sulawesi, Flores and in Papua.

WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER

362            WHITE-FRONTED BEE-EATER           Merops bullockoides

South Africa            (55)

Widely distributed in sub-equatorial Africa. Habitat is vast savannah region, commonly open country near gullies. Live in clan colonies.

LITTLE BEE-EATER

361             LITTLE BEE-EATER            Merops pusillus

South Africa                (54)

Ranges over much of sub-Saharan Africa. 15-17 cm. Found in open country  with bushes, preferably near water.

RAINBOW BEE-EATER

Photograph:  Sydney zoo

Rainbow bee-eater, photographed in northern Queensland

16   RAINBOW BEE-EATER                Merops ornatus

Australia   (16)

Also known as Rainbow bird and Kingfisher. Found in most of Australian mainland except central east of Western Australia and west of South Australia. Located in woodlands, open areas. The bee-eater is 23-28 cms.

photographed at Cunnamulla, southern Queensland