| Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater | |
|---|---|
| At Ruhija, SW Uganda | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Coraciiformes |
| Family: | Meropidae |
| Genus: | Merops |
| Species: | M. oreobates |
| Binomial name | |
| Merops oreobates (Sharpe, 1892) |
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The cinnamon-chested bee-eater (Merops oreobates) is a species of bird in the Meropidae family. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
This bird occurs in upland regions and can be found associated with wooded hillsides and forest edges. It can be distinguished from the somewhat similar Little Bee-eater by its larger size, darker colouring, white cheek patches and the upland habitat where it is found. Its diet consists mainly of honeybees although it also eats moths, butterflies, dragonflies, beetles and other flying insects. It seems to be an adaptable species and able to withstand loss of its forest habitat.[1] It measures 22 cm (8.7 in) in length and weighs 17–38 g (0.60–1.3 oz).[2]
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