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Photo: Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK · CC BY 2.0 · source ↗
European Bee-eater
Europese Byvreter · Merops apiaster
A gorgeous migrant that visits in summer, this bee-eater has a chestnut-and-gold back, turquoise underparts, a yellow throat, and a black eye-stripe. Flocks wheel high overhead, calling with a soft, rolling 'prrrp', as they chase bees and dragonflies. They travel thousands of kilometres from Europe and Asia to spend the warmer months in southern Africa.
Log your European Bee-eater sighting — free →How to identify it
A rich chestnut and golden back combined with a yellow throat and blue belly, often heard calling from high overhead.
Listen for its call
A soft, rolling "prruup" — you often hear the flock before you spot it.
Where to see it in Kruger
A summer visitor seen across the park from about October to March, often in flocks flying and calling overhead.
Did you know
These birds fly all the way from Europe to southern Africa each year, a round trip of many thousands of kilometres.
Often confused with
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