Bee-eaters (Meropidae)
Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) - HBW 6, p. 334
French: Guêpier d’Orient
German: Smaragdspint
Spanish: Abejaruco Esmeralda
Other common names: Least/Small Green Bee-eater
Taxonomy: Merops orientalis Latham, 1801, Mahratta, India.
Relationships uncertain; no obvious close relatives, and affiliations with M. boehmi doubtful. Races fall into three well-defined geographical groups: African viridissimus, flavoviridis and cleopatra; Arabian cyanophrys and muscatensis; and Asian beludschicus, orientalis and ferrugeiceps. Arabian group is the most distinctive and might well be regarded as a species in its own right; in that event, a superspecies of three, namely M. viridissimus, M. cyanophrys and M. orientalis, could be recognized. Race fla.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Merops orientalis Latham, 1801, Mahratta, India.
Relationships uncertain; no obvious close relatives, and affiliations with M. boehmi doubtful. Races fall into three well-defined geographical groups: African viridissimus, flavoviridis and cleopatra; Arabian cyanophrys and muscatensis; and Asian beludschicus, orientalis and ferrugeiceps. Arabian group is the most distinctive and might well be regarded as a species in its own right; in that event, a superspecies of three, namely M. viridissimus, M. cyanophrys and M. orientalis, could be recognized. Race flavoviridis perhaps invalid, as different throat colour thought possibly result of plumage being very fresh or, alternatively, worn. Proposed race nadjanus now included within muscatensis; birmanus is synonym of ferrugeiceps. Eight subspecies currently recognized.
Relationships uncertain; no obvious close relatives, and affiliations with M. boehmi doubtful. Races fall into three well-defined geographical groups: African viridissimus, flavoviridis and cleopatra; Arabian cyanophrys and muscatensis; and Asian beludschicus, orientalis and ferrugeiceps. Arabian group is the most distinctive and might well be regarded as a species in its own right; in that event, a superspecies of three, namely M. viridissimus, M. cyanophrys and M. orientalis, could be recognized. Race flavoviridis perhaps invalid, as different throat colour thought possibly result of plumage being very fresh or, alternatively, worn. Proposed race nadjanus now included within muscatensis; birmanus is synonym of ferrugeiceps. Eight subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- viridissimus Swainson, 1837 - Senegal across to N & C Ethiopia.
- flavoviridis Niethammer, 1955 - NE Chad (Ennedi) E to Red Sea coast in Sudan.
- cleopatra Nicoll, 1910 - Nile Valley S to N Sudan.
- viridissimus Swainson, 1837 - Senegal across to N & C Ethiopia.
- flavoviridis Niethammer, 1955 - NE Chad (Ennedi) E to Red Sea coast in Sudan.
- cleopatra Nicoll, 1910 - Nile Valley S to N Sudan.
- cyanophrys (Cabanis & Heine, 1860) - S Israel, and W & S Arabian coasts.
- muscatensis Sharpe, 1886 - C Arabian plateau and E Arabia.
- beludschicus Neumann, 1910 - S Iraq E to NW India (W Rajasthan).
- orientalis Latham, 1801 - W India (Rann of Kachchh) E to Bangladesh and S to Sri Lanka.
- ferrugeiceps J. Anderson, 1878 - NE India (E Assam) and SC China (Yunnan) to Vietnam.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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An adult on a branch. Locality Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Ernakulam District, Kerala, India (ssp orientalis)
Josep del Hoyo 30 November 2009 3 years ago 46 sec 4.8 -
An adult bird eating a bee Locality Bhuj, Kutch District, Gujarat, India (ssp orientalis)
Ron Hoff 6 February 2008 4 years ago 32 sec 4.7 -
An adult perched on a wire looking around and presumably attempting to cough up a pellet, lateral view. Locality Laem Pak Bia-Pak Thale, Phetchaburi Province, Western Thailand, Thailand (ssp ferrugeiceps)
Mark Andrews 4 February 2012 1 year ago 35 sec 4.4 -
Two birds perched on a wire, preening, looking around and one of them catching an insect. Locality Dasada, Surendranagar District, Gujarat, India (ssp beludschicus)
Josep del Hoyo 18 February 2011 1 year ago 31 sec 4.3 -
A bird looking around on a fence Locality Khor al-Beidah, Umm al-Quwain Emirate, United Arab Emirates (ssp cyanophrys)
Eric Roualet 26 February 2008 5 years ago 13 sec 4.2 -
A bird calling. Locality Thrissur Paddy Fields, Thrissur District, Kerala, India (ssp orientalis)
Josep del Hoyo 6 December 2009 3 years ago 31 sec 4.1
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on plant
Locality Thol Bird Sanctuary, Mehsana District, Gujarat, India
Jeel Bharat Patel 20 April 2013 1 hour ago ADDED TODAY! 5 -
On a branch
Locality Muscat Governorate, Oman
John A Thompson 14 November 2010 2 years ago 4.6 -
tossed a bee in the air to feed on it
Locality Kutch District, Gujarat, India
jugal Tiwari 27 August 2007 2 years ago 4.6 -
Hunting from a perch
Locality Candolim, North Goa District, Goa, India
Dave Williams 5 December 2010 37 weeks ago 4.5 -
Head shot
Locality Muscat Governorate, Oman
John A Thompson 14 November 2010 2 years ago 4.5 -
Very striking colorful bird with a green body and tail, a blue head and a sharp pointed beak.
Locality Muscat Governorate, Oman
David Dennison 2 November 2012 22 weeks ago 4.5
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Calls by one bird. Locality Moti Virani, Kutch District, Gujarat, India
(ssp ferrugeiceps)
Josep del Hoyo 16 February 2011 1 year ago 4 -
Several calls of a bird. Locality Thrissur Paddy Fields, Thrissur District, Kerala, India
(ssp orientalis)
Josep del Hoyo 6 December 2009 3 years ago 3 -
Various different calls including of juv and alarm calls Locality Jaipur District, Rajasthan, India
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 April 2004 3 years ago 3 -
An adult is calling. Locality Eilat, Israel
(ssp cyanophrys)
Iva Hristova 18 April 2007 3 years ago 2
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