Somali Bee-eater

Somali Bee-eater

Merops revoilii

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Tsavo East National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

175 Verified sightings at Tsavo East National Park From 2019 to 2026
289 In all 2 parks
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Somali Bee-eater

The Somali bee-eater (Merops revoilii) is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Tanzania. This is a small bee-eater that prefers arid country and desert areas where it may be locally common. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern", postulating that clearing of woodland and forest is creating new suitable habitat for the bird and that its population trend may therefore be rising.

The Somali bee-eater grows to a length of 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) and is the smallest member of the genus. The sexes are similar in appearance and are slender birds with spiky plumage on the head. The crown is glossy green and the eyebrow blue. The upper parts of the body are varying shades of green, the lower back and rump are bright blue and the tail is bluish-green. The cheeks, chin and throat are white, and the breast and belly cinnamon-buff. The beak is black, the eyes reddish-brown and the legs dark grey. This species lacks the dark trailing edges to the wings that many other members of the genus have.

The Somali... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:10

Kenya · 2024

© Peter Boesman · XC948275 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
2 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Somali Bee-eater in Tsavo East National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Somali Bee-eater sighting in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, based on 175 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 69th most-seen of the 345 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Somali Bee-eater in Tsavo East National Park?

February and April

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Somali Bee-eater in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, against about 10% in May and December, the lowest months.

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

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Somali 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 Tsavo East National Park the best place to see a Somali Bee-eater?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Somali Bee-eater sightings, Tsavo East National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Samburu National Reserve (Kenya, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Somali Bee-eater live in Tsavo East National Park?

Same genus: Merops

The closest relatives of the Somali Bee-eater that you can see in Tsavo East National Park (genus Merops, Typical Bee-eaters) are Little Bee-eater (about 20%), Northern Carmine Bee-eater (about 20%) and Whitethroated Bee-eater (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Somali Bee-eater sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Somali Bee-eater is recorded against all the birds logged in Tsavo East National Park (175 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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