# Northern Carmine Bee-eater

> The northern carmine bee-eater is a brilliant pinkish-red bee-eater with a blue-green head and long tail streamers. It moves within Africa with the seasons and is seen in the grasslands of Murchison Falls mostly in the drier months, often hawking insects around animals and grass fires.

Source: https://nilesafarilodge.com/wildlife/northern-carmine-bee-eater

Bird · Migratory

*Merops nubicus*

## In brief

The northern carmine bee-eater is a brilliant pinkish-red bee-eater with a blue-green head and long tail streamers. It moves within Africa with the seasons and is seen in the grasslands of Murchison Falls mostly in the drier months, often hawking insects around animals and grass fires.

## How to identify the Northern carmine bee-eater

Carmine body, turquoise-blue head and throat, a black mask and a long, pointed tail. Slender and graceful in flight.

## Where to see the Northern carmine bee-eater in Murchison Falls National Park

Over the open grassland on the northern bank on game drives; birds perch on low bushes and on the backs of grazing animals.

## Habitat

Open savanna, grassland and floodplains, usually not far from large rivers where it nests in sandy banks.

## What the Northern carmine bee-eater eats

Flying insects such as bees, grasshoppers and locusts, caught on the wing.

## Behaviour

It often rides on the backs of large birds and mammals and darts out to catch the insects they disturb, and gathers at grass fires for the same reason. It breeds in large colonies in riverbanks.

## Best time to see the Northern carmine bee-eater

Mostly the drier months, roughly November to April. Migrant within Africa.

Last reviewed 7 October 2026. Further reading: [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_carmine_bee-eater).

## At a glance

- **Scientific name**: Merops nubicus
- **Family**: Meropidae (bee-eaters)
- **Presence**: Migrant within Africa
- **Best time to see it**: Mostly the drier months, roughly November to April
- **Chance of seeing it**: Often seen
- **Size**: About 24–27 cm, plus long tail streamers
- **Conservation status**: Least Concern (IUCN Red List)

Seen on

- [Game Drives](https://nilesafarilodge.com/activities/game-drives)
- [Bird Watching](https://nilesafarilodge.com/activities/bird-watching)

[Plan your stay](https://nilesafarilodge.com/contact?topic=Accommodation+and+reservations#enquire)

Or call [Whatsapp: +256 757 363362 Landline: +256 776 938 933](tel:+256757363362+256776938933)

## Questions about the Northern carmine bee-eater

### When are carmine bee-eaters in Murchison Falls?

They move with the seasons within Africa. In Murchison Falls they are most often seen in the drier months, roughly November to April, though numbers vary from year to year.

## More birds

- [Red-throated Bee-eater](https://nilesafarilodge.com/wildlife/red-throated-bee-eater) (Bird · Resident): The red-throated bee-eater is a small green bee-eater with a scarlet throat and buff underparts. It nests in colonies in the sandy cliffs of the Nile…
- [Pied Kingfisher](https://nilesafarilodge.com/wildlife/pied-kingfisher) (Bird · Resident): The pied kingfisher is a black-and-white kingfisher that hovers over the water before diving for fish. It is one of the commonest birds on the Nile i…
- [Malachite Kingfisher](https://nilesafarilodge.com/wildlife/malachite-kingfisher) (Bird · Resident): The malachite kingfisher is a tiny, jewel-bright kingfisher with a metallic blue back, orange underparts and a red bill. It sits low on reeds and pap…

[All birds](https://nilesafarilodge.com/wildlife/birds)

---

Nile Safari Lodge, Southern bank of the River Nile, Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda. Telephone Whatsapp: +256 757 363362              Landline: +256 776 938 933. Email info@nilesafarilodge.com. Reservations: https://nilesafarilodge.com/contact