Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Merops persicus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyMeropidae (Bee-eaters)
- GenusMerops (Typical Bee-eaters)
- SpeciesMerops persicus (Blue-cheeked Bee-eater)
The blue-cheeked bee-eater (Merops persicus) is a species of bee-eater that breeds in Northern Africa and the Middle East from eastern Turkey to Kazakhstan and India. It is generally strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, although some populations are resident year-round in the Sahel. This species occurs as a rare vagrant north of its breeding range, with most vagrants occurring in Italy and Greece. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater sighting in Akagera National Park, based on 61 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Akagera National Park
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
European Bee-eater
Merops apiaster
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
Merops oreobates
Southern Carmine Bee-eater
Merops nubicoides
Blue-breasted Bee-eater
Merops variegatus
Whitethroated Bee-eater
Merops albicollis
Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus
Pied Kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
Woodland Kingfisher
Halcyon senegalensis
Malachite Kingfisher
Corythornis cristatus
Striped Kingfisher
Halcyon chelicuti
Broad-billed Roller
Eurystomus glaucurus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Akagera National Park?
About 12% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-cheeked Bee-eater sighting in Akagera National Park, based on 61 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Akagera National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Blue-cheeked Bee-eater in Akagera National Park in our monthly data.