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 perched on barbed wire and flying away Locality Kavdi, Pune Division, Maharashtra, India (ssp orientalis)
Chandrahas Kolhatkar 23 November 2002 8 years ago 4 sec 3.3 -
A bird perched on a branch Locality Makhteshim Ein Yahav Reserve, Israel (ssp cyanophrys)
Philip Griffin 7 September 2000 8 years ago 14 sec 3.3 -
Two birds on a wire, one of them swallowing a prey. Locality Thrissur Paddy Fields, Thrissur District, Kerala, India (ssp orientalis)
Josep del Hoyo 6 December 2009 3 years ago 13 sec 3.2 -
An adult perched on a branch and searching for food Locality Kavdi, Pune Division, Maharashtra, India (ssp orientalis)
Chandrahas Kolhatkar 23 November 2002 8 years ago 26 sec 3.2 -
An adult perched on a branch Locality Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India (ssp orientalis)
Anna Motis 24 April 2003 9 years ago 28 sec 3.1 -
A bird perched on a branch. Locality Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai Province, North Western Thailand, Thailand
Yoel Jimenez 5 December 2010 1 year ago 15 sec 3
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close-up of a confiding bird
Locality Yala (Ruhunu) National Park , Sri Lanka (ssp orientalis)
rainer seifert 24 February 2010 1 day ago ADDED LAST WEEK 4.2 -
Little Green Bee-eater in Bandar e Aftab, Hormozgan, Iran
Locality Iran
Ghaffar 13 March 2013 13 weeks ago 4.2 -
Little Green Bee Eater, northern Arava valley, Israel
Locality Arava Valley, Israel (ssp cyanophrys)
Avner Rinot 14 December 2012 23 weeks ago 4.2 -
Perched.
Locality Udawalawa National Park, Sri Lanka
Fran Trabalon 5 January 2012 1 year ago 4.2 -
ready to Fly
Locality Pune Division, Maharashtra, India
anup sharma 15 January 2011 2 years ago 4.2 -
Sitting on the ground
Locality Muscat Governorate, Oman
John A Thompson 14 November 2010 2 years ago 4.2
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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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