Pretty In Pink: The Carmine Bee-eater

Even among the myriad dazzling species of Africa, this bee-eater stands out with its outrageous plumage hues. But which bee-eater, exactly...? BILL NAYLOR explains how the carmine bee-eater has now become two, and summarises the challenges of keeping these beauties in aviculture.

- Bill Naylor

THE majority of bee-eater species have colourful plumage, but the most outstanding is the carmine. Its bright blue head and rump contrasts with the predominant varying shades of plum and pink. It is the most gregarious of the bee-eaters, and also one of the noisiest. A cloud of pink, swooping, chattering carmine bee-eaters is one of Africa’s most impressive avian sights.

South v North

This species occurs in two separate populations more than 1,000 miles apart in southern and North Africa. Considering they don’t interbreed and have different plumage (the northern birds have a blue throat, the southern birds a bright pink throat), it’s surprising it took so long to recognise them as two distinct species.

Previously known as the southern race of carmine bee-eater (Merops nubicus nubicoides), this population is now officially confirmed as the southern carmine bee-eater (M. nubicoides). The northern bird (M. nubicus) has the larger range, extending from east to west Africa and northwards, approaching the Sahara. Both species are migratory; in winter the northern species moves south, and the southern species moves north.

Avicultural stories

The specialised diet of winged insects is the reason only about eight (mostly African species) out of the 27 species of bee-eaters have been kept in captivity. Captive breeding has, in general, been infrequent. In the 1970s the little bee-eater (M. pusillus) and white-fronted bee-eater (M. bullockoides) were bred in the UK at the short-lived Winged World at Heysham Head in Lancashire.