The olive bee-eater or Madagascar bee-eater is a bee-eater species in the genus Merops. It is native to the southern half of Africa where it is present in Angola; Botswana; Burundi; Comoros; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Kenya; Madagascar; Malawi; Mayotte; Mozambique; Namibia; Rwanda; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe. It is a common species with a wide range so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated their conservation status as "least concern".
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar
Typical Environment
Occurs widely from the Horn of Africa and the East African Rift south through much of eastern and southern Africa, as well as on Madagascar and nearby islands. It favors open woodland, savanna, bushy edges, coastal scrub, and farmlands with scattered trees. Proximity to sandy banks or erodible soils is important for nesting colonies. Frequently seen along rivers, lake margins, and road cuttings where suitable nesting substrates exist.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Madagascar bee-eater, it specializes in catching stinging insects like bees and wasps in mid-air and deftly removes stingers by striking prey against a perch. It nests colonially in burrows excavated into sandy banks, road cuttings, or river edges. The species is widespread across mainland Africa and Madagascar and adapts well to open habitats, including lightly cultivated areas.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
agile flier with short rapid wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Often seen in small groups or loose flocks perched on exposed branches, wires, or reed stems. Nests colonially by tunneling into sandy banks; both sexes excavate and care for the young, and helpers may assist at nests. Courtship includes aerial pursuits and food offerings.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Gives soft, rolling trills and liquid, tinkling calls, often exchanged in flight. Contact calls are clear and musical, carrying well over open habitats.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with a contrasting rufous to chestnut throat, pale to whitish underparts washed with green or blue, and a blue-tinged rump and undertail. A bold white supercilium contrasts with a black eye mask, and breeding birds show elongated central tail streamers. The overall impression is sleek and colorful with a glossy look typical of bee-eaters.
Diet
Feeds mainly on flying insects, especially bees, wasps, and hornets, as well as dragonflies, beetles, and other aerial prey. Typically sallies out from a perch to snatch insects on the wing. Before swallowing stinging insects, it removes the sting by repeatedly striking the prey against a perch and squeezing out the venom.
Preferred Environment
Hunts from exposed perches in open savanna, along river corridors, at lake margins, and in agricultural mosaics. Frequently forages near nesting colonies where sandy banks and open airspace are available.
