Nyctyornis amictus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The red-bearded bee-eater (Nyctyornis amictus) is a large species of bee-eater found in southern Myanmar, the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra and nearby smaller islands. This species is found in openings in patches of dense forest.
Like other bee-eaters, they are colourful birds with long tails, long decurved beaks and pointed wings. They are large bee-eaters, predominantly green, with a red colouration to face that extends on to the slightly hanging throat feathers to form the "beard". Their eyes are orange.
Like other bee-eaters, they predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in flight from perches concealed in foliage. They hunt alone or in pairs, rather than in flocks, and sit motionless for long periods before pursuing their prey.
Like other bee-eaters, they nest in burrows tunnelled into the side of sandy banks, but do not form colonies. The Hamlyn photographic guide to birds of the world, foreword by Christopher Perrins; general editor: Andrew Gosler, London : Hamlyn, 1991, ISBN 0-600-57239-0 Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 7 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 9 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 10 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 11 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-bearded Bee-eater sighting in Sepilok on a given day, based on 234 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 107th most-seen of the 242 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red-bearded Bee-eater in Sepilok on a given day, against under 5% in January, April and November, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-bearded Bee-eater sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
7th of 11
Of the 11 parks where we can rate Red-bearded Bee-eater sightings, Sepilok ranks 7th at about 10%. The best odds are in Khao Luang National Park (Thailand, about 20%), Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 20%) and Way Kambas National Park (Indonesia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-bearded Bee-eater is recorded against all the birds logged in Sepilok (234 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.
