The Southern Carmine Bee-eater is one of the most spectacular birds of sub-Saharan Africa, a slender, long-tailed insect hunter drenched in rich carmine-red with a contrasting greenish-blue crown and throat. During the breeding season, hundreds or even thousands of pairs gather to nest in vertical earthen riverbanks, turning a stretch of sandy cliff into a swirling, chattering city of red.
Highly social and constantly on the wing, these bee-eaters are famous for riding on the backs of large mammals and following bustards or even vehicles, snapping up the insects flushed from cover. Their long central tail feathers, or streamers, and buoyant, gliding flight make them unmistakable as they sally out after passing prey.
Adults are hard to confuse with anything else in their range. The overall carmine-pink to red body, greenish-blue cap, teal throat and rump, and elongated tail streamers combine into a striking package. Juveniles are duller, with a pinkish-brown body and shorter tails.
| Face | Greenish-blue crown and forehead with a black mask through the eye |
| Body | Rich carmine-red back, breast and belly |
| Throat | Bluish-teal, blending into the red breast |
| Rump | Bright blue, obvious in flight |
| Tail | Long, dark central streamers extending well past the tail |
| Size | About 24-27 cm long including streamers, slim build |
The Southern Carmine Bee-eater is a noisy, gregarious bird. Its usual call is a deep, rolling terk terk or trik-trik, often given in flight and repeated rapidly. At a breeding colony the collective chatter of thousands of birds produces a continuous rolling murmur that carries across the water.
This species breeds across southern Africa, from Angola, Zambia and Malawi south to Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and northern South Africa. It is an intra-African migrant, moving north toward the equator and East Africa outside the breeding season. It favors open savanna, floodplains, and broad rivers with tall, sandy banks suitable for nesting.
As the name suggests, bees make up a large share of the diet, but Southern Carmine Bee-eaters take a wide range of flying insects including locusts, grasshoppers, dragonflies, and flying ants. They hunt on the wing, catching prey in mid-air, and often perch on a raised vantage before sallying out. Stinging insects are beaten against a perch to remove the sting before being swallowed.
Breeding is colonial and spectacular. Pairs excavate long tunnels, often one to two metres deep, into vertical riverbanks or occasionally flat ground, with colonies numbering into the thousands of nests. The female lays a clutch of around 2 to 5 white eggs at the end of the burrow. Both parents incubate and feed the chicks, which are raised on a steady supply of insects.
- Northern Carmine Bee-eater: Very similar but with a blue-green throat rather than a teal one, and found across the Sahel and East Africa to the north.
- European Bee-eater: Multicolored with a yellow throat and chestnut back, sharing the same slim shape and aerial hunting style.
- Little Bee-eater: Much smaller and green with a yellow throat, common in the same African savannas.
Why is it called a carmine bee-eater?
Carmine is a deep pinkish-red pigment, and the bird's plumage is exactly that color. Like other bee-eaters it specializes in catching bees and other flying insects, giving it the full name.
Do Southern Carmine Bee-eaters really ride on animals?
Yes. They frequently perch on the backs of large mammals such as antelope, kori bustards, and livestock, using them as mobile lookouts and snapping up insects the animals disturb as they move.
Where can I see their famous colonies?
Some of the best-known breeding colonies are along rivers in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, where thousands of birds nest in sandy banks during the dry season, roughly August to November.
Are they endangered?
No. The Southern Carmine Bee-eater is listed as Least Concern, with a large range and abundant population, though colonies can be sensitive to disturbance and bank erosion.