Photo by Mark Goddard

Meros bulocki, by its Latin name, is a 20 to 22 cm big bird adorned by the red (or sometimes yellow) throat and dark blue under tail-coverts. Its wings are triangular and green with a thin line of blue on the back. It has a square green tail with some orange stripes. Juveniles are duller in appearance. Red-throated Bee-eater's voice is very vocal.

They nest in excavated burrows, especially on the stream banks or on the ground level. They breed in colonies, and they tend to be familial.

Photo by Mark Goddard

They are common birds in The Gambia, being residents of the upper parts of the country from Janjanbureh further inland. They live in open savanna woodlands and bushy pastures.

Photo Credits: Mark Goddard