European Bee-Eater
Merops apiaster
Also known as: Bee-Eater, Abellerol
Habitat
Mid-canopy
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
57 g
About This Species
European Bee-eaters nest colonially in burrows dug into sandy banks and riversides across southern Europe, North Africa, and parts of western Asia, arriving in spring and departing by early autumn. They hunt from wires and exposed perches, sallying out to catch bees and wasps on the wing before returning to beat the sting off against the perch. Their bubbling, far-carrying call is often the first sign of a colony nearby, and warm, calm mornings tend to produce the most activity.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Nesting colonies in sandy banks are vulnerable to collapse and abandonment if people climb or stand close to the burrows, so view from a distance and keep off the bank itself.
- This species and its nest sites are protected under wildlife legislation across most of its European range, though the specific rules and enforcement differ by country, so treat any colony as a look-but-do-not-approach site.
- Photography from a hide or vehicle at range is far less disruptive than approaching on foot.
LCAvesCoraciiformesMeropidae
Seasonal Activity
726,133 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Meropidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Mid-canopy
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 57 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.