Northern Carmine Bee-eater

Merops nubicus Gmelin, JF, 1788

Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Merops nubicus, breeds across Africa from Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia east to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. It is a bee-eater in the family Meropidae and was first described by Gmelin in 1788. The bird is chiefly carmine, with a greenish blue head and throat and a dark facial mask. It has red eyes, a black downcurved bill and long central tail feathers. The sexes look alike. Young birds lack the long tail feathers and have pinkish brown underparts and mantle.

Order

Coraciiformes

Family

Meropidae — Bee-eaters

Breeding range

Africa: Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia to Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia