White-throated Bee-eater

Merops albicollis

Other Names

  Black-crowned Bee-eater   Guêpier à gorge blanche   Weißkehlspint   Abejaruco Gorgiblanco   Vitstrupig biätare   Witkeelbijeneter   Gruccione golabianca

World: North, central Africa from southern Mauritania eastwards to Somalia at the northern limit of its range and from the Congo Republic eastwards to northern Tanzania at the southern limit

Kenya: Migrant September-April. Common in most areas except the arid north east

This is a gregarious Bee-eater which is a non-breeding migrant, although some birds do breed in the far north of Kenya. It can often be seen on telegraph wires from where it hawks insects. It can be confused with another migrant, the Madagascar Bee-eater, which it closely resembles. However the Madagascar Bee-eater lacks the black crown and throat patch of the White-throated Bee-eater