Ethiopian Bee-eater

The Ethiopian bee-eater (Merops lafresnayii) is a species of bird in the family Meropidae. It is found in Ethiopia and Sudan. It was formerly considered a subspecies of either blue-breasted bee-eater M. variegatus or cinnamon-chested bee-eater M. oreobates, from both of which it is allopatric with a separate distribution. The Ethiopian bee-eater is a bird of open montane woodland (including coffee and eucalyptus plantations), occurring at 1,000–3,200 metres (3,300–10,500 ft) altitude, often on steep slopes, but also on flatter land on the Ethiopian plateau. Like its two relatives, it is usually solitary or in pairs, not gregarious like many other bee-eaters. It perches on a branch in the canopy beside tracks and clearings and swoops down on small butterflies, bees, and other insects before returning to its original or another perch. == Taxonomy == Ethiopian bee-eater is one of a group of African species that have sometimes been classified in a separate genus Mellitophagus, distinguished by small size, rounded wingtips, lack of tail streamers, and non-colonial behaviour. The other species in this group are blue-breasted bee-eater M. variegatus, cinnamon-chested bee-eater M. oreobates, little bee-eater M. pusillus, and sometimes also red-throated bee-eater M. bulocki and white-fronted bee-eater M. bullockoides, though those…