European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster Linnaeus, 1758

Meropidae — Bee-eaters

European Bee-eater, Merops apiaster, is a bird of the bee-eater family found across the Palearctic, with breeding populations in north-west Africa, southern Europe and central Asia, and in South Africa. It also moves through western, southern and central Africa outside the breeding season. It is the bee-eater with the widest range. First described by Linnaeus in 1758, it is a slender bird with brown and yellow upperparts, green wings and a black bill. The sexes look alike, though the female usually shows greener shoulders.

Order
Coraciiformes
Family
Meropidae — Bee-eaters
Breeding range
Palearctic, Africa: nw Africa, sw Europe to c Asia; South Africa
Nonbreeding range
w, s, c AF
European Bee-eater
© Sasidharanmanekkara · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

53 tours in Portugal 24, Spain 6, Thailand 5, Italy 3, Poland 2, Hungary 2, Bulgaria 2, South Africa 2, Jordan 1, Ukraine 1, France 1, Georgia 1, Croatia 1, Tunisia 1, Namibia 1

Late Spring Birding Tour 2027
Late Spring Birding Tour 2027
Poland / Warsaw Group tour 5 days

A compact five-day Białowieża and Biebrza tour for breeding woodpeckers, flycatchers, warblers, Great Snipe and wildlife photography....

From EUR 1,390 Next: Jun 4, 2027
Spring Birding Tour 2027
Spring Birding Tour 2027
Poland / Warsaw Group tour 7 days

Seven days across Białowieża Forest and Biebrza Marshes for woodpeckers, owls, Great Snipe, marsh terns, warblers and crakes....

From EUR 1,810 Next: May 7, 2027
Spring Birding Tour in Hungary
Spring Birding Tour in Hungary
Hungary / Kecskemet Private tour 5 days

Follow Hungary’s breeding season for five days through Kiskunsag and Hortobagy, linking wetland, puszta and woodland birds from a Kecskeme...

From EUR 750 Next: May 3, 2027
10-Day Private Birdwatching Tour of Jordan
10-Day Private Birdwatching Tour of Jordan
Jordan / Amman Private tour 10 days

A private ten-day journey linking Jordan’s forests, wetlands, reserves, desert valleys and Red Sea migration sites with cultural highlight...

Private Birdwatching on Ventotene
Private Birdwatching on Ventotene
Italy / Ventotene Private tour 5h

A private Ventotene birdwatching walk across the island’s varied habitats, with time for migration observation and integrated cultural con...

From EUR 340
Private Birdwatching on Ponza
Private Birdwatching on Ponza
Italy / Ponza Private tour 4h

Choose a private Ponza birdwatching walk around Monte Guardia or Punta Incenso, with routes adapted to migration, weather and your interests...

From EUR 220
3-Hour Tagus River Birdwatching Boat Tour
3-Hour Tagus River Birdwatching Boat Tour
Portugal / Escaroupim Group tour 3h

A quiet three-hour birdwatching boat trip from Escaroupim, exploring Tagus River islands and channels with a local nature guide....

From EUR 45
Half-Day or Full-Day Douro Natural Park Birdwatching
Half-Day or Full-Day Douro Natural Park Birdwatching
Portugal / Pinhel Group tour 1 day

A private half-day or full-day birding experience in Douro International Natural Park, combining vehicle-based exploration with short walks ...

From EUR 185
Private Full-Day Birds of Bulgaria Tour with Skygaze
Private Full-Day Birds of Bulgaria Tour with Skygaze
Bulgaria / Sofia Private tour 1 day

Explore Bulgarian birdlife on a private full-day outing with Skygaze, combining an ornithologist-led route, off-road transport, binoculars a...

From EUR 900
Central Spain Birding: Steppes, Wetlands and Mountains
Central Spain Birding: Steppes, Wetlands and Mountains
Spain / Madrid Group tour 3 days

A three-day birding journey from Madrid through central Spain’s steppe, wetland, woodland and mountain habitats. Guiding, transport, accom...

From EUR 425
Private Full-Day Cholgini Ornithological Reserve Birding Tour
Private Full-Day Cholgini Ornithological Reserve Birding Tour
Ukraine / Lviv Private tour 1 day

A private full-day wetland birding trip from Lviv to Cholgini Ornithological Reserve, with telescope observation and a picnic lunch....

From EUR 160
Private Full-Day Bustards and Eagles Birding Tour
Private Full-Day Bustards and Eagles Birding Tour
Portugal / Almodovar Private tour 9h

A nine-hour private 4x4 tour through Almodovar's grassland steppes, combining morning and afternoon birding for bustards, eagles and Iberian...

From EUR 200
Custom Multi-Day Provence and French Alps Birding Journey
Custom Multi-Day Provence and French Alps Birding Journey
France / Arles Private tour

Design a private multi-day route from Camargue wetlands through Provence to the Vercors and Chartreuse, following birds across contrasting e...

Early Morning Birding in Seville
Early Morning Birding in Seville
Spain / Seville Private tour 5h

A private five-hour early-morning birding outing near Seville during the main spring and summer season....

From EUR 210
Vashlovani Semi-desert Birding Tour with Nika Paposhvili
Vashlovani Semi-desert Birding Tour with Nika Paposhvili
Georgia / Dedoplistsqaro Private tour 3 days

Explore Vashlovani’s semi-desert, steppe, scrub and cliffs with Nika Paposhvili on a private 2–3-day search for eastern Georgian birds....

Bird Photography in Spring in Bulgaria with NatureTravel
Bird Photography in Spring in Bulgaria with NatureTravel
Bulgaria / Krushari Private tour 6 days

Use specialist hides over six full-board days in North-East Bulgaria for spring photography of orioles, rollers, bee-eaters, woodpeckers and...

From EUR 1,520
Ultimate Croatia Birding Experience
Ultimate Croatia Birding Experience
Croatia / Zagreb Group tour 10 days

A 10-day guided birding journey from Zagreb to Croatia's Adriatic coast, wetlands, karst landscapes and major migration hotspots....

From EUR 2,400
Kiskunsag National Park Birdwatching Day Trip
Kiskunsag National Park Birdwatching Day Trip
Hungary / Kecskemet Private tour 8h

Spend a private day across Kiskunsag’s puszta, sodic lakes, fishponds and floodplain edges, choosing sites around the season and priority ...

From EUR 100
One-Day Cork Oak Forest Birding Tour in Northern Tunisia
One-Day Cork Oak Forest Birding Tour in Northern Tunisia
Tunisia / Ain Draham Private tour 1 day

Spend a private day in northern Tunisia’s cork oak country, seeking Levaillant’s Woodpecker and a varied community of forest, edge and w...

Private Northern Tuscany Coast Birding with Giorgio Paesani
Private Northern Tuscany Coast Birding with Giorgio Paesani
Italy / Livorno Private tour 1 day

Private birding along the northern Tuscany coastline with Giorgio Paesani, adapted to coastal wetlands, migration conditions and Mediterrane...

Private Bird Photography Tours from Hides and Blinds in Southern Spain
Private Bird Photography Tours from Hides and Blinds in Southern Spain
Spain / Cordoba Group tour 8 days

An eight-day private photography route using specialist Sierra Morena hides before an open wetland day in Doñana or Ria Formosa, depending ...

Short-break Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Short-break Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 5 days

Five days of field photography across Tagus and Sado wetlands, Castro Verde’s open plains and the rocky Guadiana country, beginning and en...

Week-long Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Week-long Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 8 days

An eight-day bird-photography journey from Lisbon through the Tagus and Sado estuaries, Castro Verde, Guadiana Valley and the Algarve wetlan...

12 Days Spain Birdwatching Programme
12 Days Spain Birdwatching Programme
Spain / Seville Group tour 12 days

A 12-day small-group Spain circuit joining Extremadura’s plains and raptor cliffs with Doñana wetlands, Odiel Marshes and migration watch...

12 Days Portugal and Spain Birdwatching Programme
12 Days Portugal and Spain Birdwatching Programme
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 12 days

A 12-day small-group birding journey from Lisbon’s estuaries and coast to the plains, reservoirs and raptor country of Extremadura in west...

Short-break Birds and Conservation Programme in Southern Portugal
Short-break Birds and Conservation Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 5 days

A five-day small-group birding and conservation programme linking Tagus Estuary fieldwork with Guadiana Valley and Castro Verde monitoring a...

Short-break Birdwatching Programme in Southern Portugal
Short-break Birdwatching Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 5 days

A five-day small-group route from Lisbon through the Tagus Estuary, Castro Verde and Guadiana Valley, returning via the Sado Estuary wetland...

Week-long Birds and Dragonflies Programme in Southern Portugal
Week-long Birds and Dragonflies Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Faro Group tour 8 days

An eight-day small-group natural-history circuit from Faro through Alentejo and Algarve birding sites, with a parallel focus on dragonflies ...

Week-long Birdwatching Programme in Northern and Central Portugal
Week-long Birdwatching Programme in Northern and Central Portugal
Portugal / Porto Group tour 8 days

An eight-day small-group circuit from Lisbon through the Tagus wetlands, International Tagus and Douro cliffs, Villafáfila steppe and the P...

12 Days Birds and Wine Programme in Portugal
12 Days Birds and Wine Programme in Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 12 days

A 12-day small-group route combining Portugal’s estuaries, Alentejo plains and mountain parks, International Douro cliffs and Douro Valley...

12 Days Birds and Culture Programme in Southern Portugal
12 Days Birds and Culture Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 12 days

A 12-day small-group journey pairing southern Portugal’s major birding regions with Évora, Mértola, Sagres and a final cultural day in L...

Week-long Birdwatching Programme in Southern Portugal
Week-long Birdwatching Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 8 days

An eight-day small-group birding circuit from Lisbon through the Tagus and Sado estuaries, Alentejo steppe, Guadiana Valley and Algarve wetl...

International Douro Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
International Douro Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Portugal / Miranda do Douro Private tour 1 day

Full-day private birdwatching from Porto to the International Douro Natural Park....

From EUR 380
Peneda-Geres Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Peneda-Geres Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Portugal / Peneda-Geres Private tour 1 day

A full-day private journey from Porto into Peneda-Gerês National Park for mountain, oak woodland, river and upland scrub birds at Portugal�...

From EUR 380
Aveiro Lagoon Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Aveiro Lagoon Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Portugal / Aveiro Private tour 1 day

A full-day private trip from Porto to Aveiro Lagoon, exploring salt marshes, mudflats, dunes, brackish channels and adjoining freshwater far...

From EUR 300
Barrinha de Esmoriz and Douro Estuary Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Barrinha de Esmoriz and Douro Estuary Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Portugal / Porto Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day birding from Porto, combining Barrinha de Esmoriz’s coastal lagoon with selected habitats around the Douro Es...

From EUR 160
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Portugal / Faro Private tour 1 day

A flexible private Algarve birding day built around Salgados, Ria de Alvor, Cape St. Vincent or the Monchique uplands, depending on season a...

Southwest Spain Private Birdwatching Day Tour from the Algarve
Southwest Spain Private Birdwatching Day Tour from the Algarve
Spain / Huelva Private tour 1 day

A full-day private excursion from the eastern Algarve to the wetlands of southwest Spain, with birding shaped around Odiel Marshes or the Do...

From EUR 360
Alentejo Castro Verde and Guadiana Valley Birdwatching Day Tour from the Algarve
Alentejo Castro Verde and Guadiana Valley Birdwatching Day Tour from the Algarve
Portugal / Castro Verde Private tour 1 day

Full-day private birding from the Algarve into Castro Verde and the Guadiana Valley, linking open steppe with oak country, river valleys and...

From EUR 340
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Portugal / Faro Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day birding in the eastern Algarve, centered on the wetlands of Ria Formosa and Castro Marim within easy reach of F...

From EUR 160
Lisbon Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Lisbon Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Portugal / Lisbon Private tour 1 day

A customizable private birding day from Lisbon, selecting one of several coastal, wetland, mountain or inland destinations to match season a...

Alentejo Castro Verde and Guadiana Valley Birdwatching Day Tour from Lisbon
Alentejo Castro Verde and Guadiana Valley Birdwatching Day Tour from Lisbon
Portugal / Castro Verde Private tour 1 day

A full-day private journey from Lisbon to the Castro Verde plains and Guadiana Valley for steppe birds, vultures, eagles and Mediterranean s...

From EUR 380
Sado Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Sado Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Portugal / Setubal Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day exploration of the Sado Estuary, combining tidal wetlands, rice fields, dunes and Mediterranean woodland just b...

From EUR 190
Tagus Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Tagus Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Portugal / Lisbon Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day birding from Lisbon across the Tagus Estuary’s mudflats, salt pans, reedbeds, rice fields and wooded margins....

From EUR 160
Bespoke Iberian Birding, Wildlife and Back-Roads Tour
Bespoke Iberian Birding, Wildlife and Back-Roads Tour
Spain Private tour

A private, tailor-made Spain or Portugal journey combining birdwatching and wildlife stops with quiet roads, mountain scenery, villages, reg...

2-Day West Coast Birding Tour
2-Day West Coast Birding Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 2 days

Explore the Western Cape coast over two days, from Darling farmland and Geelbek shorebirds to a Berg River boat trip and Velddrif wetlands....

10-Day Western Cape Birding Tour
10-Day Western Cape Birding Tour
South Africa / Cape Town Private tour 10 days

A private or small-group Western Cape birding itinerary from Cape Town through the Cape Peninsula, West Coast, Tankwa Karoo, Agulhas Plain, ...

Southern Africa Birding Expedition: Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls with Birding Ecotours
Southern Africa Birding Expedition: Namibia, Okavango & Victoria Falls with Birding Ecotours
Namibia / Walvis Bay Group tour 18 days

An 18-day birding expedition from Namibia's Atlantic coast through Etosha and the Okavango Panhandle to Victoria Falls, combining desert nea...

From USD 10,206
Ultimate Thailand Bird Watching 35 Days Trip
Ultimate Thailand Bird Watching 35 Days Trip
Thailand Group tour 35 days

Ultimate Thailand Bird Watching – 35 Days / 34 Nights is an extensive and immersive birding journey across the full range of Thailand’s ...

Classic Thailand Bird Watching 25 Days Trip
Classic Thailand Bird Watching 25 Days Trip
Thailand Group tour 25 days

Classic Thailand Bird Watching – 25 Days / 24 Nights is an extensive, immersive birding journey through Thailand’s most diverse habitats...

Khao Yai National Park Bird Watching 3 Days Trip
Khao Yai National Park Bird Watching 3 Days Trip
Thailand / Khao Yai Group tour 3 days

Take three days to explore Khao Yai’s checkpoints, waterfalls and forest tracks, with stops at a limestone temple and a bat cave on the ap...

Khao Yai Bird Watching Day Trip
Khao Yai Bird Watching Day Trip
Thailand / Khao Yai Group tour 1 day

Leave Bangkok early for a full day in Khao Yai, with time on Trail 2 in the higher evergreen forest of Khao Khiew and a late afternoon retur...

Kaeng Krachan Bird Watching Day Trip
Kaeng Krachan Bird Watching Day Trip
Thailand / Kaeng Krachan Group tour 1 day

A full day from Bangkok follows Kaeng Krachan’s forest road from the higher ground at Phanern Thung to lower stops for pittas and broadbil...