European bee-eater
Scientific name: Merops apiaster Linnaeus, 1758
Overview
The European bee-eater is a bird species in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It has the largest range of any bee-eater species, breeding in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia. Except for the resident southern African population, the species is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa. This species occurs as a spring overshoot north of its usual range, with occasional breeding in northern Europe.
From the Wikipedia article “European bee-eater”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Conservation status
Least concern on the IUCN Red List, as recorded on Wikidata, citing The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021.3.
Size and lifespan
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Birth weight | 6.5 g |
Source: Wikidata, citing “AVIAN BODY SIZES IN RELATION TO FECUNDITY, MATING SYSTEM, DISPLAY BEHAVIOR, AND RESOURCE SHARING”, article by Terje Lislevand et al published June 2007 in Ecology.
Where it lives
The Catalogue of Life records it in: Africa; Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China); Southern Asia.
Common names
Also known in English as Bee-eater.
Names in other languages (12)
- Arabic
- وروار أوروبي
- Bengali
- ইউরোপীয় সুইচোরা
- Chinese
- 黄喉蜂虎
- French
- Guêpier d'Europe, guêpier deurope
- German
- Bienenfresser
- Indonesian
- Berek-berek eropa
- Japanese
- ヨーロッパハチクイ
- Persian
- زنبورخوار اروپایی
- Portuguese
- abelharuco-comum, abelharuco-europeu
- Russian
- золотистая щурка
- Spanish
- Abejaruco europeo
- Turkish
- Avrupa arı kuşu
Related animals
Sources
-
Catalogue of Life — scientific name, classification, common names and range.
Version 2026-09-11, CC BY 4.0.
This species in the Catalogue of Life.
Citation
Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Aedo, C., Aescht, E., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (Version 2026-09-11). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgz5n Source database: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- GBIF — species page and recorded occurrences.
- Wikidata — conservation status, measurements, names in other languages. Q170718, CC0 1.0.
- Wikipedia — overview, from the article “European bee-eater”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo — Петро Катеринич, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
- Range map — Netzach, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
Last updated: 4 October 2026