Bee-eaters (Meropidae)
Little Bee-eater (Merops pusillus) - HBW 6, p. 331
French: Guêpier nain
German: Zwergspint
Spanish: Abejaruco Chico
Taxonomy: Merops pusillus P. L. S. Müller, 1776, Senegal.
Has been placed with other small, round-winged species lacking tail-streamers in genus Mellitophagus, comprising present species and M. muelleri, M. gularis, M. variegatus, M. oreobates, M. bulocki and M. bullockoides. Races all intergrade along narrow corridor where respective ranges meet. Five subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- pusillus P. L. S. Müller, 1776 - Senegal and Guinea E to C Sudan (to c. 29º E).
- ocularis (Reichenow, 1900) - from C Sudan E to Red Sea coast of Eritrea, S to NE Zaire and NW Uganda.
- cyanostictus Cabanis, 1869 - Somalia and E Kenya.
- pusillus P. L. S. Müller, 1776 - Senegal and Guinea E to C Sudan (to c. 29º E).
- ocularis (Reichenow, 1900) - from C Sudan E to Red Sea coast of Eritrea, S to NE Zaire and NW Uganda.
- cyanostictus Cabanis, 1869 - Somalia and E Kenya.
- meridionalis (Sharpe, 1892) - E Africa (except E Kenya), and from equator S to Angola and Natal.
- argutus Clancey, 1967 - SW Angola, N Namibia, N & E Botswana, SW Zimbabwe.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird arriving with a prey to a perch, eating it and rubbing its bill Locality Mburo Lake National Park, Uganda (ssp meridionalis)
Josep del Hoyo 13 September 2006 5 years ago 33 sec 4.7 -
A bird perched and a close-up. Locality Awash National Park, Ethiopia (ssp cyanostictus)
Josep del Hoyo 28 November 2005 7 years ago 44 sec 4.6 -
A bird flying from a perch and returning to it with an insect Locality Lake Ziway, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp cyanostictus)
Josep del Hoyo 30 November 2005 6 years ago 31 sec 4.6 -
A bird mandibulating, hiting and eating an insect, then calling Locality Lake Ziway, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp cyanostictus)
Josep del Hoyo 30 November 2005 6 years ago 40 sec 4.5 -
Two birds perched on a branch, one catching an insect and eating it Locality Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta, North-West District, Botswana (ssp argutus)
Keith Blomerley 8 January 2007 5 years ago 29 sec 4.3 -
A bird perched on barbed wire Locality Awash River Valley, Ethiopia (ssp cyanostictus)
Keith Blomerley 12 April 2002 5 years ago 24 sec 4.2
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A bird perching.
Locality Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Tadeusz Rosinski 18 January 2013 11 weeks ago 4.8 -
A group of Little Bee-eaters huddling together to roost.
Locality Abuko Nature Reserve, Abuko, Western Division, The Gambia (ssp pusillus)
Kit Day 1 November 2009 51 weeks ago 4.8 -
An adult photographed in low afternoon sun.
Locality Samburu-Buffalo Springs National Reserves, Kenya (ssp cyanostictus)
Steve Garvie 8 July 2010 2 years ago 4.8 -
Headshot of an adult bird showing the blue supercilium of subspecies cyanostictus
Locality Samburu-Buffalo Springs National Reserves, Kenya (ssp cyanostictus)
Steve Garvie 8 July 2010 2 years ago 4.7 -
Little Bee-eater
Locality Mombasa, Kenya
Kevin B Agar 13 February 2011 1 year ago 4.6 -
Enjoying the sunset.
Locality Kotu Creek, Kotu, Banjul, The Gambia
Mattias Hofstede 31 October 2012 24 weeks ago 4.5
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An individual calling once. Locality Lake Ziway, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
(ssp cyanostictus)
Josep del Hoyo 30 November 2005 17 weeks ago 3
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