Merops (genus)

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Merops
African bee-eaters composite.jpg
Six common African Merops bee-eaters
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Meropidae
Genus: Merops
Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
Merops apiaster
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

see text

Merops is a large genus of bee-eaters, a group of birds in the family Meropidae, native to Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. The members of this family are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. They predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air.

Contents

All bee-eaters are in the genus Merops and subfamily Meropinae except for three Asiatic bearded bee-eaters in the subfamily Nyctyornithinae (in genera Nyctyornis and Meropogon ). The genus Merops was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae . [1] The type species is the European bee-eater. [2] The genus name is Ancient Greek for "bee-eater". [3]

Taxonomy and systematics

Twenty-eight species are recognized: [4]

 
 
 
 
 
 

Merops boehmi

 
 
 

Merops muelleri

Merops m. mentalis

 

Merops gularis

M. g. australis

 
 

Merops oreobates

Merops hirundineus

 
 

Merops pusillus

M. p. meridionalis

Merops variegatus

 
 
 
 
 
 

Merops ornatus

Merops apiaster

 
 

Merops persicus

Merops superciliosus

Merops philippinus

 
 

Merops viridis

Merops leschenaulti

Merops orientalis

Merops nubicus

Merops malimbicus

Merops albicollis

Merops breweri

 

Merops bulocki

Merops bullockoides

Meropogon

Nyctyornis

Bayesian consensus phylogeny based on nuclear and mitochondrial sequences of Meropidae (missing only Nyctyornis athertoni and M. revoilii) [5]
ImageCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Merops breweri Keulemans.jpg Black-headed bee-eater Merops breweriAngola, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Sudan.
Merops muelleri.jpg Blue-headed bee-eater Merops muelleriCameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Kenya
Merops mentalis (cropped).jpg Blue-moustached bee-eater Merops mentalisCameroon, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Black Bee-eater - Ghana S4E2547.jpg Black bee-eater Merops gularisfrom Sierra Leone to southeast Nigeria
Swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus hirundineus).jpg Swallow-tailed bee-eater Merops hirundineussub-Saharan Africa
Little bee-eater (Merops pusillus pusillus).jpg Little bee-eater Merops pusillusSub-Saharan Africa
20160605 0253 Bangweulu Guepier a collier bleu (cropped).jpg Blue-breasted bee-eater Merops variegatusAngola, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Cameroon
Ethiopian Bee-eater (cropped).jpg Ethiopian bee-eater Merops lafresnayiiEritrea; Ethiopia; South Sudan; Sudan
Cinnamon-chested bee-eater (Merops oreobates) 2.jpg Cinnamon-chested bee-eater Merops oreobatesBurundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Merops bulocki frenatus.jpg Red-throated bee-eater Merops bulockiBenin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda.
White-fronted bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) Namibia.jpg White-fronted bee-eater Merops bullockoidessub-equatorial Africa.
Somali Bee-eater, Merops revoilii (cropped).jpg Somali bee-eater Merops revoiliiEthiopia, through Somalia to northern and eastern Kenya
White-throated bee-eater (Merops albicollis) female.jpg White-throated bee-eater Merops albicollissouthern Senegal to Uganda.
Boehm's Bee-eater - Malawi S4E2687 (22658131571).jpg Böhm's bee-eater Merops boehmiDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Merops orientalis at Fayoum by Hatem Moushir 1.JPG African green bee-eater [6] Merops viridissimussub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and the Gambia to Ethiopia; the Nile Valley
Green bee-eater with a bee.jpg Arabian green bee-eater [6] Merops cyanophrysArabian Peninsula and the Levant
Merops orientalis - Pak Thale.jpg Asian green bee-eater [6] Merops orientalisAsia from coastal southern Iran east through the Indian subcontinent to Vietnam
Blue-cheeked bee-eater (Merops persicus persicus) Namibia.jpg Blue-cheeked bee-eater Merops persicusNorthern Africa, and the Middle East from eastern Turkey to Kazakhstan and India
Olive Bee-eater, Ambola, SW Madagascar.jpg Olive bee-eater Merops superciliosusAngola; Botswana; Burundi; Comoros; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Kenya; Madagascar; Malawi; Mayotte; Mozambique; Namibia; Rwanda; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus).jpg Blue-tailed bee-eater Merops philippinussoutheastern Asia.
Rainbow Bee-eater - Fogg Dam - Darwin S4E5258 (22308831836).jpg Rainbow bee-eater Merops ornatusAustralia, New Guinea, and some of the southern islands of Indonesia.
Blue-throated bee-eater (Merops viridis).jpg Blue-throated bee-eater Merops viridissouth-east Asia
Rufous-crowned Bee-eater Merops viridis americanus, Luzon, Philippines (15901095124).jpg Rufous-crowned bee-eater Merops americanusthe Philippines
Chestnut-headed bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti).jpg Chestnut-headed bee-eater Merops leschenaultiIndia east to Southeast Asia.
Sahlur.jpg European bee-eater Merops apiastersouthern Europe and in parts of north Africa and western Asia.
Merops malimbicus (cropped).jpg Rosy bee-eater Merops malimbicusAngola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo.
Merops nubicus 13zz.jpg Northern carmine bee-eater Merops nubicusBenin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda.
Southern Carmine Bee-eater (Merops nubicoides) (16732824032).jpg Southern carmine bee-eater Merops nubicoidesKwaZulu-Natal and Namibia to Gabon, the eastern DRCongo and Kenya.

Former species

Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Merops:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European bee-eater</span> Species of bird of genus Merops

The European bee-eater is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia. Except for the resident southern African population, the species is strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa. This species occurs as a spring overshoot north of its usual range, with occasional breeding in northern Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garganey</span> Species of bird

The garganey is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and across the Palearctic, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India, Bangladesh and Australasia during the winter of the Northern hemisphere, where large flocks can occur. This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Like other small ducks such as the Eurasian teal, this species rises easily from the water with a fast twisting wader-like flight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common reed bunting</span> Species of bird

The common reed bunting is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. The genus name Emberiza is from Old German Embritz, a bunting. The specific schoeniclus is from Ancient Greek skhoiniklos, a now unknown waterside bird.

<i>Sterna</i> Genus of birds

Sterna is a genus of terns in the bird family Laridae. The genus used to encompass most "white" terns indiscriminately, but mtDNA sequence comparisons have recently determined that this arrangement is paraphyletic. It is now restricted to the typical medium-sized white terns occurring near-globally in coastal regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue rock thrush</span> Species of bird

The blue rock thrush is a species of chat. This thrush-like Old World flycatcher was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. It breeds in southern Europe, northwest Africa, and from Central Asia to northern China and Malaysia. The blue rock thrush is the official national bird of Malta and was shown on the Lm 1 coins that were part of the country's former currency.

<i>Hirundo</i> Genus of birds

The bird genus Hirundo is a group of passerines in the family Hirundinidae. The genus name is Latin for a swallow. These are the typical swallows, including the widespread barn swallow. Many of this group have blue backs, red on the face and sometimes the rump or nape, and whitish or rufous underparts. With fifteen species this genus is the largest in its family.

<i>Coracias</i> Genus of birds

Coracias is a genus of the rollers, an Old World family of near passerine birds related to the kingfishers and bee-eaters. They share the colourful appearance of those groups, blues and browns predominating. The two outer front toes are connected, but not the inner one.

<i>Fringilla</i> Genus of birds

The genus Fringilla is a small group of finches from the Old World, which are the only species in the subfamily Fringillinae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle spotted woodpecker</span> Species of bird

The middle spotted woodpecker is a European woodpecker belonging to the genus Dendrocoptes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olive bee-eater</span> Species of bird

The olive bee-eater or Madagascar bee-eater is a near passerine bee-eater species in the genus Merops. It is native to the southern half of Africa where it is present in Angola; Botswana; Burundi; Comoros; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Kenya; Madagascar; Malawi; Mayotte; Mozambique; Namibia; Rwanda; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe. It is a common species with a wide range so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated their conservation status as "least concern".

<i>Picus</i> (bird) Genus of birds

Picus is a genus of birds in the woodpecker family. It has representatives in Europe, Asia and North Africa. The genus name is Latin for "woodpecker". The genus Picus was erected by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.

<i>Nyctyornis</i> Genus of birds

Nyctyornis is a genus of the bee-eaters, near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. There are just two members of this group, which occur in tropical south and southeastern Asia.

<i>Tetrao</i> Genus of birds

Tetrao is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily known as capercaillies. They are some of the largest living grouse. Feathers from the bird were used to create the characteristic hat of the bersaglieri, an Italian ace infantry formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern carmine bee-eater</span> Species of bird

The northern carmine bee-eater is a brightly-coloured bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It is found across northern tropical Africa, from Senegal eastwards to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the southern carmine bee-eater which has a carmine coloured throat rather than the blue throat of the northern species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-headed quail-dove</span> Species of bird

The blue-headed quail dove, or blue-headed partridge-dove, is a species of bird in the pigeon and dove family Columbidae. It is monotypic within the subfamily Starnoenadinae and genus Starnoenas.

<i>Alcedo</i> Genus of birds

Alcedo is a genus of birds in the kingfisher subfamily Alcedininae. The genus was introduced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. The type species is the common kingfisher. Alcedo is the Latin for "kingfisher".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple-winged roller</span> Species of bird

The purple-winged roller is a species of bird in the family Coraciidae. It is endemic to the Sulawesi subregion in Indonesia and can be found on the islands of Sulawesi, Bangka, Lembeh, Manterawu, Muna and Butung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Antillean bullfinch</span> Species of bird

The Greater Antillean bullfinch is a species of bird in the family Thraupidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey tit</span> Species of bird

The grey tit is a species of bird in the tit family Paridae. It is found in Lesotho and South Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation.

<i>Parus</i> Genus of birds

Parus is a genus of Old World birds in the tit family. It was formerly a large genus containing most of the 50 odd species in the family Paridae. The genus was split into several resurrected genera following the publication of a detailed molecular phylogenetic analysis in 2013. The genus name, Parus, is the Latin word for "tit".

References

  1. ↑ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae:Laurentii Salvii. p. 117.
  2. ↑ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1945). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 5. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 233.
  3. ↑ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p.  251. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (August 2022). "Todies, motmots, bee-eaters". World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  5. ↑ Marks, Ben D.; Weckstein, Jason D.; Moyle, Robert G. (2007). "Molecular phylogenetics of the bee-eaters (Aves: Meropidae) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 45 (1): 23–32. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.07.004. PMID   17716922.
  6. 1 2 3 "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List" . Retrieved 2021-06-18.
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