MyKrugerHoliday
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source ↗
Southern Carmine Bee-eater
Rooiborsbyvreter · Merops nubicoides
One of the most spectacular birds in Africa, this large bee-eater glows a deep rosy-carmine pink with a turquoise crown and rump and a black mask. It arrives in summer in big flocks, hawking insects from the air and often riding on the backs of large animals to snap up bugs they disturb. It nests in huge colonies in sandy riverbanks.
Log your Southern Carmine Bee-eater sighting — free →How to identify it
A large bee-eater of glowing carmine-pink with a blue-green crown and a long tail streamer.
Listen for its call
Noisy "terk-terk" chatter at the busy riverbank nesting cliffs.
Where to see it in Kruger
A summer spectacle along the larger rivers, especially in the far north around the Luvuvhu and Limpopo, in nesting colonies.
Did you know
These birds sometimes ride on the backs of kori bustards and antelope, catching insects the big animals scare up as they walk.
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