The
White-fronted Bee-eater (
Merops bullockoides) is a species of
bee-eater widely distributed in sub-
equatorial Africa. They have a distinctive white forehead, a square tail and a bright red patch on their throat. As the name suggests, their diet consists primarily of
bees and other flying
insects. They nest in
colonies averaging 200 individuals, digging roosting and nesting holes in cliffs or banks of earth, and have a complex social structure.
Photo: Luc Viatour