Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus Latham, 1801
Meropidae — Bee-eaters
Rainbow Bee-eater, Merops ornatus, is a bee-eater found in Australia, where it breeds across Australasia except Tasmania, and it also moves north outside the breeding season to Sulawesi, the Moluccas, the New Guinea region and the Bismarck Archipelago, including outlying atolls. It is the only bee-eater recorded in Australia and has no accepted subspecies. First described by Latham in 1801, it belongs to the family Meropidae. It is a common migratory bird with a wide range.
- Order
- Coraciiformes
- Family
- Meropidae — Bee-eaters
- Breeding range
- Australasia: Australia (except Tasmania)
- Nonbreeding range
- s population to Sulawesi, Moluccas, New Guinea region and Bismarck Arch., including outlying atolls
