Red-throated Bee-eater

Red-throated Bee-eater

Merops bulocki

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
at Niokolo-Koba National Park

In 3 days >90%

447 Verified sightings at Niokolo-Koba National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,432 In all 3 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Red-throated Bee-eater

The red-throated bee-eater (Merops bulocki) is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. This species is native to the Sudan (region). It has a wide range and large total population, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

The adult red-throated bee eater grows to about 20 to 22 cm (8 to 9 in) in length with a moderately long tail, but no streamers. The upper parts are green and the red chin and throat are distinctive, though about 1% of individuals have a yellow throat. The hind neck, breast and underparts are buff, and the under-tail coverts and thighs are bright blue. To the east of the Central African Republic, the birds have blue facial features while to the west these features are green.

The red-throated bee-eater has a wide distribution across tropical Africa, its range extending from Senegal and Gambia in the west to Uganda, southern Sudan, and Ethiopia in the east. Its typical habitat is savannah with scattered trees, farmland with trees, the edges of marshes, bushy pastures and gardens, but the birds are rarely to be found far from the erosion... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Flight call0:28

Gambia · 2024

© Zsombor Károlyi · XC1163403 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:55

Senegal · 2024

© Frank Lambert · XC1041428 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Alarm call1:20

Gambia · 2020

© Joost van Bruggen · XC533848 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
~90%
2 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~60%
3 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Wilhelma 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Red-throated Bee-eater in Niokolo-Koba National Park?

Very likely

About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Red-throated Bee-eater sighting in Niokolo-Koba National Park on a given day, based on 447 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 215 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Red-throated Bee-eater in Niokolo-Koba National Park?

January, April and September

In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Red-throated Bee-eater in Niokolo-Koba National Park on a given day, against about 70% in August, the lowest month. May–July and October have too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Red-throated Bee-eater?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-throated Bee-eater sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Niokolo-Koba National Park the best place to see a Red-throated Bee-eater?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Red-throated Bee-eater sightings, Niokolo-Koba National Park has the highest daily chance: about 90%. Next come Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda, about 60%) and Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Red-throated Bee-eater live in Niokolo-Koba National Park?

Same genus: Merops

The closest relatives of the Red-throated Bee-eater that you can see in Niokolo-Koba National Park (genus Merops, Typical Bee-eaters) are Little Bee-eater (about 40%) and Northern Carmine Bee-eater (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Red-throated Bee-eater sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Red-throated Bee-eater is recorded against all the birds logged in Niokolo-Koba National Park (447 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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