Scientific Name: Merops philippinus
Malay Name: Berek-berek Zaitun Asia
Chinese Name: 栗喉蜂虎
Range: Widespread through South and Southeast Asia
Taxonomy: Monotypic.
Size: 23-24 cm
Identification: Adult quite distinctive and is green overall with orange-chestnut lower throat, black eyestripe that gets thinner closer to the bill and bluish rump/tail. Also shows the typical shape of a bee-eater — long and slightly downcurved bill with long tail-streamers. Juvenile has duller lower throat and lacks tail-streamers.
Similar looking species: Blue-throated Bee-eater
Habitat: Open and urban areas, marshes, grasslands and forests.
Behaviour/Ecology: Feeds in flight on a variety of flying insects including dragonflies, bees and large flies.
Local Status: Common migrant
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Any patch of suitable habitat.
Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Blue-tailed Bee-eater)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Merops philippinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22683750A92998513.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Blue-tailed Bee-eater. Retrieved on July 18, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/blue-tailed-bee-eater.