White-fronted Bee-eater ( Merops bullockoides, family: Meropidae)
The White-fronted Bee-eater (Latin name Merops bullockoides) is
described in Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition. This bird
has a unique Roberts number of 443 and you will find a full description
of this bird on page 186 also a picture of the White-fronted Bee-eater
on page 192. The White-fronted Bee-eater belongs to the family of birds
classified as Meropidae.
The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... the green dots show the locations of the various Kruger National Park Rest Camps
The White-fronted Bee-eater is neither Endemic or near Endemic to the Kruger National Park. It is however a common resident
In terms of distribution of the White-fronted Bee-eater in the Kruger National Park you may not see it in all areas. White-fronted Bee-eater : see above distribution map.
The White-fronted Bee-eater.
Identification assistance for this avian species ...
The White-fronted Bee-eater is a bird about the same size as a starling. The height of the White-fronted Bee-eater is about 24 cms and its weight is about 35 gms
The male and female White-fronted Bee-eater have the same plumage and colours
- Head is bronze.
- Eye is brown.
- Bill is black.
- Throat is scarlet.
- Back is blue.
- Legs are grey.
This bird has normally proportioned leg length.
Main diet items for this bird ...
The White-fronted Bee-eater feeds on the ground and in or around water mainly
Invertebrates
Aquatic life forms
Nectar
Breeding and nesting habits for this bird ...
The White-fronted Bee-eater is monogamous unless its mate dies. In the event of a partner dying Merops bullockoides will seek out a new mate
The nesting habit of White-fronted Bee-eater is to create the nest in a hole in the ground. The bird lays eggs which are white in colour and number between 2 to 5
Habitat and flocking behaviour for this bird ...
The preferred habitats for White-fronted Bee-eater are: woodlands
You will normally see the White-fronted Bee-eater in flocks.
Names of this avian species in other languages ...
Xhosa ... Unknown
Zulu ... Unknown
Afrikaans ...Rooikeelbyvreter
German ... Weistirnspint, Weistirn-Bienenfresser
Portuguese ... Abelharuco-de-testa-branca
French ... Gupier front blanc
Dutch ... Witkapbijeneter
First bird in list | Previous bird viewed | Next KNP bird | Last bird in list
For in-depth birding information please refer to these authoritative avian references ...
Robert's 7th edition number ... 443
The main reference source for this data was "Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition" . Other references were "Newmans Birds of the Kruger Park" by Keith Newman published circa 1980 . Names in foreign languages were obtained from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town website , www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za