European Bee-eater
Merops apiaster
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCoraciiformes (Rollers, Kingfishers, and Allies)
- FamilyMeropidae (Bee-eaters)
- GenusMerops (Typical Bee-eaters)
- SpeciesMerops apiaster (European Bee-eater)
The European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) is a bird species in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It has the largest range of any bee-eater species. It breeds 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. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a European Bee-eater sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 255 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Etosha National Park
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Merops hirundineus
Madagascar Bee-eater
Merops superciliosus
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Merops persicus
Lilac-breasted Roller
Coracias caudatus
Rufous-crowned Roller
Coracias naevius
European Roller
Coracias garrulus
Striped Kingfisher
Halcyon chelicuti
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Halcyon leucocephala
Malachite Kingfisher
Corythornis cristatus
📅 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 European Bee-eater in Etosha National Park?
About 17% of wildlife watchers report a European Bee-eater sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 255 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see European Bee-eater in Etosha National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for European Bee-eater in Etosha National Park in our monthly data.