Bird · GBIF taxon 2475399
Southern Carmine Bee-eater
Merops nubicoidesAlso known as Carmine Bee-eater
Southern carmine bee-eaters are striking gregarious birds known for their vivid pinkish-crimson plumage, bright turquoise undertails, and masterclass aerial agility. They gather in colonies numbering thousands of pairs, excavating tunnels up to two meters deep into vertical sandy riverbanks. During foraging flights, individuals frequently ride atop large birds or mammals like bustards and warthogs, darting down to snatch grasshoppers flushed by their walking mounts.
MigratoryColonialAerial Hunter
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Honeybees
- Locusts
- Flying Termites
Predators
- Nile Monitor
- African Fish Eagle
- Yellow-billed Kite
ThreatsRiverbank erosion, breeding colony disturbance, and pesticide exposure
HabitatsSavannas, floodplains, riverbanks, and open woodlands
Life span6–10 years
Classification
- FamilyMeropidae
- SpeciesMerops nubicoides
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Colony Etiquette: Keep a generous distance from active nesting cliffs to avoid collapsing delicate sand tunnels.
- Hunting Grounds: Scan near grass fires and around grazing ungulates where flocks gather to catch flushed prey.
Same Genus (c) Derek Keats, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Symbiont (c) Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová · cc-by
Close Relative Luc Viatour / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Same Family (c) Gary Leavens, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Gary Leavens · cc-by-sa
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