Bee-eaters (Meropidae)
Blue-breasted Bee-eater (Merops variegatus) - HBW 6, p. 331
French: Guêpier à collier bleu
German: Blaubrustspint
Spanish: Abejaruco Pechiazul
Other common names: Ethiopian Bee-eater (lafresnayii)
Taxonomy: Merops variegatus Vieillot, 1817, Malimbe, Cabinda, Angola.
Has been placed with other small, round-winged species lacking tail-streamers in genus Mellitophagus, comprising present species and M. muelleri, M. gularis, M. pusillus, M. oreobates, M. bulocki and M. bullockoides. Sometimes regarded as forming a superspecies with M. oreobates; although there is some geographical overlap between them, they are segregated altitudinally. Race lafresnayii sometimes treated as full species or, alternatively, as belonging in M. oreobates, but considered more akin to small lowland forms of pres.. View all taxonomy...
Has been placed with other small, round-winged species lacking tail-streamers in genus Mellitophagus, comprising present species and M. muelleri, M. gularis, M. pusillus, M. oreobates, M. bulocki and M. bullockoides. Sometimes regarded as forming a superspecies with M. oreobates; although there is some geographical overlap between them, they are segregated altitudinally. Race lafresnayii sometimes treated as full species or, alternatively, as belonging in M. oreobates, but considered more akin to small lowland forms of present species; further research required. Four subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- loringi (Mearns, 1915) - extreme SE Nigeria (Obudu and Mambilla Plateaux) and S Cameroon E to Uganda and W Kenya.
- variegatus Vieillot, 1817 - Gabon E to SC Zaire (Kasai) and S to N Angola.
- bangweoloensis (C. H. B. Grant, 1915) - C Angola, and Zambia W to W Tanzania.
- lafresnayii Guérin-Méneville, 1843 - Ethiopia and SE Sudan.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird on a branch, looking around and preening. Locality Afar Plains, Afar Region, Ethiopia (ssp lafresnayii)
Josep del Hoyo 27 November 2005 7 years ago 21 sec 4.8 -
A bird in several perches, finally returning with a prey and swallowing it. Locality Afar Plains, Afar Region, Ethiopia (ssp lafresnayii)
Josep del Hoyo 27 November 2005 7 years ago 33 sec 4.6 -
A bird in a tree, looking around in search of prey. Locality Sof Omar, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp lafresnayii)
Josep del Hoyo 3 December 2005 7 years ago 48 sec 4.6 -
A bird on a branch, foraging. Locality Afar Plains, Afar Region, Ethiopia (ssp lafresnayii)
Josep del Hoyo 27 November 2005 7 years ago 47 sec 4.5 -
front views of two birds on a branch, each flies and returns empty billed Locality Jemmu Valley, Ethiopia (ssp lafresnayii)
Martin Kennewell 24 October 2010 2 years ago 37 sec 4.3 -
A bird on a perch, yawning. Locality Afar Plains, Afar Region, Ethiopia (ssp lafresnayii)
Josep del Hoyo 27 November 2005 7 years ago 32 sec 4
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Male bird on his lookout
Locality Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania
Cindywutsch 8 September 2012 13 weeks ago 4.5 -
A male on his lookout
Locality Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania
Cindywutsch 8 September 2012 14 weeks ago 4.5 -
A bird perched on a branch.
Locality Semliki National Park, Uganda
Tadeusz Rosinski 23 February 2011 28 weeks ago 4.4 -
Short instruction how to fold a bee-eater.
Locality Ethiopia (ssp lafresnayii)
Piotr Jonczyk 17 November 2009 1 year ago 4.3 -
Bird sitting on a branch
Locality Mabamba Wetland, Uganda
Arti 6 March 2011 1 year ago 4.3 -
Waiting. Between Negele and Yabelo. Ethiopia
Locality Ethiopia (ssp lafresnayii)
Piotr Jonczyk 18 November 2009 3 years ago 4.2
- No sound recordings available yet
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