Asian green bee-eater

Not to be confused with Little bee-eater.

Asian green bee-eater
M. o. ceylonicus, Sri Lanka
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Meropidae
Genus: Merops
Species:
M. orientalis
Binomial name
Merops orientalis
Latham, 1801
Synonyms
  • Merops viridis Neumann, 1910

The Asian green bee-eater (Merops orientalis), also known as little green bee-eater, and green bee-eater in Sri Lanka, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family. It is resident but prone to seasonal movements and is found widely distributed across Asia from coastal southern Iran east through the Indian subcontinent to Vietnam.[2] Populations in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that were formerly assigned to this species (under the name green bee-eater) are now considered distinct species: the African green bee-eater and the Arabian green bee-eater.[3] They are mainly insect eaters and they are found in grassland, thin scrub and forest often quite far from water. Several regional plumage variations are known and several subspecies have been named.

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2017). "Merops orientalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22725876A119972083. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22725876A119972083.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ Fry, C.H.; Fry, K. (1992). Kingfishers, Bee-Eaters and Rollers. A Handbook. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-7136-8028-8.
  3. ^ "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2021-06-13.