Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)

The Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) (sometimes little green bee-eater) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family. It is resident but prone to seasonal movements and is found widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and the Gambia to Ethiopia, the Nile valley, western Arabia and Asia through India to Vietnam.  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.

I took these photos just outside Doi Inthanon NP in the Blossom-headed Parakeet Conservation Area.  They are fairly common throughout Thailand.

IMG_9822 IMG_9820 IMG_9859 They actually have a huge range that spans Africa and Asia.  Details of recent sightings are on Xeno-canto.  The red dot in Thailand shows the location in which my photos were taken.

bee-eaterLEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

Wikipedia

HBW

Xeno-canto

VIDEO

Lovely close-ups of Green Bee-eaters.