Rufous-crowned bee-eater explained

The rufous-crowned bee-eater (Merops americanus) is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is widely distributed. Despite its scientific name, it is not found in the New World, and its name is likely erroneous.

It was previously considered a subspecies of the blue-throated bee-eater (M. viridis), but was split as a distinct species by the IUCN Red List and BirdLife International in 2014, and the International Ornithological Congress followed suit in 2022.^{[1] [2]} It is still confused with M. viridis as it is still called blue-throated bee-eater by many including eBird.^[3]

Habitat

It inhabits open country and clearings adjacent to forested areas, including over scrub and cogon fields, using dead trees and telephone wires as perches.^[4] It is resident.

Notes and References

1. Web site: IOC World Bird List 12.1. 2022-01-29. IOC World Bird List Datasets. en-US. 10.14344/ioc.ml.12.1.
2. Collar. Nigel J.. 2011. Species limits in some Philippine birds including the Greater Flameback Chrysocolaptes lucidus. Forktail. 27. 29–38.
3. Web site: Rufous-crowned Bee-eater - eBird . 2023-09-26 . ebird.org . en.
4. Book: A guide to the birds of the Philippines . 2000 . Oxford University Press . 978-0-19-854668-9 . Kennedy . Robert S. . 1. publ . New York . Johns Bitting . Melinda.