Birds Active during the day

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Merops viridis

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

A jewel of the Asian lowlands, the Blue-throated Bee-eater combines dazzling chestnut and emerald plumage with incredible aerial agility. Watch these social hunters transform your backyard sky into a stage for their acrobatic insect pursuits.

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Quick Identification

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Size

27 to 30 cm (10.5–12 in) in length including tail streamers; wingspan of 30–35 cm (12–14 in); weight 28–45 g (1–1.6 oz)

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Colors

Adults feature a rich chestnut crown and nape, a signature neon-blue throat, and vibrant emerald-green wings. Juveniles are mostly dull green.

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Key Features

Elongated central tail feathers (streamers)
Vibrant sky-blue throat patch
Rich chestnut-colored crown and nape
Slender, slightly decurved black bill

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 7-11 AM, 3-6 PM

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Season February-September

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Diet Specializes in flying insects, particularly honeybees, wasps, and hornets, but also frequently consumes dragonflies and moths.

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Habitat Lowland areas including mangrove forests, coastal scrub, open woodlands, suburban gardens, and sandy riverbanks.

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Where Does the Blue-throated Bee-eater Live?

The Blue-throated Bee-eater is a flagship species of Southeast Asia, thriving across a broad swath of the continent from southern China and Vietnam down through the Malay Peninsula. They are found extensively throughout the archipelagos of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore, where they favor coastal regions and lowland plains. While equatorial populations remain in their territories year-round, northern birds migrate southward during the winter months to seek warmer tropical climates.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

10 Countries

4.2M km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

ID Indonesia MY Malaysia TH Thailand Vietnam PH Philippines Singapore Cambodia Laos CN China Brunei

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

The Blue-throated Bee-eater is a highly social and acrobatic bird, often seen perched on exposed branches, fences, or power lines. They are master aerialists, launching sudden, sweeping sorties to snatch flying insects from the air with an audible snap of the beak. After a successful hunt, they return to a favorite perch to 'process' their prey, which involves vigorously rubbing the insect against the branch to remove the stinger and toxins before swallowing it whole.

These birds are colonial by nature, often congregating in large groups to forage and nest. They have a rich repertoire of liquid, rolling calls that allow them to maintain contact within the flock, especially when moving through dense canopy or during their seasonal migrations. While they are generally wary of humans, they have adapted well to suburban environments where parks and gardens provide ample hunting grounds and open perches.

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Camera Tips

To capture high-quality footage of the Blue-throated Bee-eater, look for their 'sentinel perches.' These birds are creatures of habit and will return to the same exposed, high-visibility branch or wire multiple times an hour to scan for prey. Mount your AI camera on a tripod or tree trunk at a height of 5 to 10 feet, aimed at a clear branch with a distant, soft background. This setup ensures the camera's focus remains on the bird's vibrant colors rather than the foliage behind it.

Because these birds are incredibly fast flyers, you should use the highest possible shutter speed setting on your camera to avoid motion blur during take-offs. If your camera supports burst mode or high-frame-rate video, enable it to capture the split-second 'bee-whacking' behavior on the branch. Position the camera so it faces away from the sun—preferably facing North or South—to ensure the bird's chestnut nape and blue throat are fully illuminated by natural light rather than silhouetted.

While you cannot easily bait these birds with traditional feeders, you can attract them by maintaining an insect-friendly backyard. Avoid pesticides and plant native flowering species that attract bees and dragonflies, which serve as a natural lure. During the breeding season (April through July), keep an eye out for small burrows in sandy soil or embankments. Placing a camera 15-20 feet away from these nesting sites can provide a fascinating look at their social interactions and chick-rearing, though you must be careful never to disturb the nest site itself.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Blue-throated Bee-eater.

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Has a yellow and rufous throat instead of blue, and lacks the deep chestnut crown and nape.

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater

Features a bright yellow throat and a chestnut head that extends further down the back, lacking any blue on the neck.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Blue-throated Bee-eaters are diurnal and most active during the mid-morning (7-11 AM) and late afternoon (3-6 PM). This timing coincides with peak activity for their primary prey—bees, wasps, and dragonflies—which require the sun's warmth to fly.

The best way to attract them is by providing tall, exposed perching spots like thin dead branches and maintaining a pesticide-free garden that supports a healthy population of flying insects. They are especially attracted to areas near water or sandy patches.

Their diet is almost entirely insectivorous. They specialize in Hymenoptera (bees and wasps) but also eat large quantities of dragonflies, beetles, and moths caught in mid-air.

Yes, they are quite common in suburban parks, coastal residential areas, and large gardens across Southeast Asia, provided there are enough open spaces and perches for hunting.

The easiest way is to look at the throat and head. The Blue-throated Bee-eater has a bright blue throat and a chestnut-red crown. In contrast, the Blue-tailed Bee-eater has a yellow and brown throat and a green crown with a black eye-stripe.

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