What to Know About the Northern and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters in Uganda?

The Northern & Southern Carmine Bee-Eaters in Uganda are one of the African birds in Uganda seen during Uganda bird Watching Tours. These two similar African species are now raised to the rank of full species. They are species living in Murchison Falls National Park.

Both species migrate but in two different ways. The Northern Carmine Bee-eater spends the austral winter farther S in N Tropics and in E Tanzania.

The Southern Carmine Bee-eater moves northwards to Burundi and S to N Natal and is rather a local migrant.

These two species are very similar in appearance with only insignificant differences. They are identical in voice, behavior, ecology and reproduction.

The Northern Carmine Bee-eater has a length from 24-27, 9,5 cm with streamers and weight 44-60g while the southern carmine bee-eater has a length from 24-27cm + 12 cm with streamers, weight between 10-15% more than the previous. 

How Does the Northern and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters in Uganda Look Like?

Both are long-winged bee-eaters. They have similar body plumage and only differ in head color and pattern, and general size.

They have carmine upperparts and belly, and azure to olive-green rump and under tail-coverts. The blue color varies with the light.

On the upper wing, the visible part of the tertial flight feathers is green-blue, and the longest primaries have blue subterminal spot on outer webs.

The trailing edge is black. The underwing-coverts are cinnamon-buff. The tail is carmine with longer central rectrices, named streamers.

On the head, the Northern Carmine Bee-eater has greenish-blue forehead, crown, chin and cheeks, and darker olive-green throat.

These colors may appear blue, blackish or greenish-blue according to the light. There is a well-defined black mask from lores, through the eye, and becoming broader on the rear eye and the ear-coverts.

The stout bill is black. The eyes are red. Legs and feet are grey. Both sexes are similar but the female has shorter streamers.

The juvenile is duller, with dull blue crown and forehead, brown nape and upper mantle, and rufous lower mantle.

Rump and upper tail-coverts are greyish-blue. The tail is dull carmine with bluish fringes and lacks the streamers. The mask is black.

On the head, the Southern Carmine Bee-eater has similar pattern, except the carmine-pink throat. The eyes are dark brown to black.

This species has longer streamers and is larger and heavier than M. nubicus. Both sexes are similar and the female has shorter streamers.

The juvenile lacks the elongated central rectrices and is duller. It has pale pink (or rarely pale blue) chin and throat. The mask is dull black.

How Does the Northern and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters in Uganda Sing and Make Calls?

Northern and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters utter a loud “terk-terk”. We can also hear a short flight-call “klunk” or “tunk”, or “chip-chip-chip”.

The flocks produce harsh twittering “tirriktirrik-tirrik” and loud alarm calls “rik-rik-rik-rak, rak-rik-rak-rik”.

How Does the Northern and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters in Uganda Feed?

Both bee-eaters feed primarily on great variety of insects, and especially grasshoppers and locusts. They forage in effortless sailing direct flight, but also in wide circles, and they may soar as falcons.

They alternate long rests perched in tree with feeding sequences of a few minutes at height of 50-100metres.

They also hunt from perches, chasing a flying prey before to return to the perch where the insect is beaten and swallowed.

They may perch on mammals and some large birds too. hey are attracted by bush fires where they pursue the fleeing insects.

They sometimes splash down on to water to catch small fish near the surface, and may occasionally dive in kingfisher-like style.

How Does the Northern and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters in Uganda Nest?

They nest in cliffs by rivers, free of vegetation, and sometimes at ground level. The same site is often used for decades.

Both adults excavate the burrow which is straight and slightly declining. With a diameter of about 6 cm and a length between 1 and 2metres and occasionally 3 and 7metres.

There is an oval nest-chamber at the end, unlined and aligned with the tunnel.

How Does the Northern and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters in Uganda Breed?

During the breeding season, they nest in huge colonies on riverbanks and riverside cliffs. They become more vocal while they raise the crown and throat feathers.

The quivering tail is fanned and the wings are raised. Courtship feeding from male to female is frequent.

How Does the Northern and Southern Carmine Bee-eaters in Uganda Reproduce?

The laying occurs at the beginning of the rainy season at low latitudes, and some weeks before at highest latitudes. the female lays 2-5 white eggs at about 48 hours intervals.

The incubation is shared by both parents and lasts about 3 weeks in captivity. The young are fed by both sexes and fledge 23-30 days after hatching.

The Southern Carmine Bee-eater (M. nubicoides) may have helpers at nest, but any observation of this behavior in Merops nubicus.