Bee-eaters (Meropidae)
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater (Merops oreobates) - HBW 6, p. 332
French: Guêpier montagnard
German: Bergspint
Spanish: Abejaruco Montano
Other common names: Cinnamon-breasted Bee-eater
Taxonomy: Melittophagus oreobates Sharpe, 1892, Mount Elgon.
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. variegatus, M. bulocki and M. bullockoides. Sometimes regarded as forming a superspecies with M. variegatus; although some geographical overlap exists between them, they are segregated altitudinally. Race lafresnayii of M. variegatus often treated as conspecific with present species, but considered more akin to small lowland forms of that species; furth.. 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. variegatus, M. bulocki and M. bullockoides. Sometimes regarded as forming a superspecies with M. variegatus; although some geographical overlap exists between them, they are segregated altitudinally. Race lafresnayii of M. variegatus often treated as conspecific with present species, but considered more akin to small lowland forms of that species; further research required. Monotypic.
Distribution: E African highlands: Sudan-Uganda border (Lolibat and Nangeya Mts); E Zaire (Lendu Plateau, and S to around Makungu region on W side of L Tanganyika); SW Ugandan highlands S to Mahari Mt in W Tanzania; Mt Elgon on Uganda-Kenya border; and NC Kenya (Mts Kulal, Nyiru and Marsabit, Cherangani Hills, Maralal and Meru) and W & C Kenyan highlands S to N & E Tanzania (Crater Highlands, Kilimanjaro, Arusha National Park, Pare Mts, W Usambara and E Uluguru ranges). Reported sightings from S Ethiopia probably all refer to M. variegatus lafresnayii.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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Two birds perched, preening and flicking their tails Locality Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda (Monotypic species)
Josep del Hoyo 8 September 2006 4 years ago 23 sec 4.8 -
Seven birds roosting on a wire, in close contact Locality Chimpanze Guest House, Kibale National Park, Uganda (Monotypic species)
Josep del Hoyo 1 September 2006 5 years ago 37 sec 4.6 -
A bird in a tree Locality Jacana Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda (Monotypic species)
Josep del Hoyo 5 September 2006 5 years ago 27 sec 4.2 -
A bird perched in a tree Locality Mountain Lodge, Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya (Monotypic species)
Brooke Clibbon 9 December 2002 5 years ago 9 sec 3 -
A bird on a branch, flying and returning to it Locality Naro Moru River Lodge, Mount Kenya National Park, Kenya (Monotypic species)
Josep del Hoyo 15 August 2000 5 years ago 34 sec 2.5 -
near a village Locality Mburo Lake National Park, Uganda (Monotypic species)
Daniêl Jimenez 13 September 2010 1 year ago 22 sec 2.3
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Adult bird
Locality Bushara Island, Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda (Monotypic species)
Arti 3 March 2011 16 weeks ago 4 -
Adult perching
Locality Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Marco Valentini 31 January 2012 14 weeks ago 3.6 -
Another Stunning Colourful Bee Eater!
Locality Ngorongoro Crater, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti, Tanzania
Stan Mansfield 4 April 2011 1 year ago 3.5 -
Perched
Locality Bare, East Province, Rwanda
Jason Anderson 15 November 2009 1 year ago 2.8 -
Single bird with insect
Locality Ruhija, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Tom Tarrant 6 January 2006 2 years ago 2.8 -
A perched bird.
Locality Lake Baringo, Kenya (Monotypic species)
Ken Havard 16 February 2006 1 year ago 2.6
- No sound recordings available yet
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