The rosy bee-eater is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.
Region
West and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from coastal and lowland West Africa through the Congo Basin, recorded in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It favors broad rivers with sandy banks for nesting, forest edges, open woodland, and savanna mosaics. Outside the breeding season it ranges widely, following rainfall and insect swarms. Large communal roosts may form near rivers or forest clearings.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The rosy bee-eater forms huge breeding colonies, sometimes numbering many thousands of pairs, tunneling into sandy riverbanks. It often feeds high above the forest canopy, hawking for flying insects in aerobatic flocks. After breeding, it undertakes intra-African movements tracking rains and insect emergences.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
swift, agile flier with buoyant sallies above the canopy
Social Behavior
Highly colonial breeder, excavating nest tunnels in sandy riverbanks and islands. Pairs are monogamous within the season, and both sexes feed the young. Outside breeding, it forms large, loose flocks that move widely in search of insect swarms.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Gives a series of soft, rolling trills and liquid prrit notes, especially in flight. Calls are high-pitched and carry well over rivers and forest clearings, often delivered in rapid, conversational exchanges within flocks.
