What is the Little Bee-eater?

The little bee-eater (Merops pusillus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is resident in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. It should not be confused with the little green bee-eater, Merops orientalis. Migration is limited to seasonal movements depending on rainfall patterns.

Go Birding

Little Bee-eater

Merops pusillus

The little bee-eater (Merops pusillus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae.

from Wikipedia

Showing stays that recordLittle Bee-eater10+ stays list it on site or nearby

Species insights▾

When to visit

Recorded year-round

Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.

Best monthsAny month

Records1,569 records

Curve from 1,569 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.

Where you'll find it

KwaZulu-Natal and beyond

Provinces where Little Bee-eater is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.

1,569 records, iNaturalist

Parks where hosts record the Little Bee-eater

Places to stay

10+ results in South Africa

Tanda Tula Safari Camp

Limpopo

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 27 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard · Guided walk, Game drives

Price on request

Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Hluhluwe

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 285 birds recorded · African wild dog, Spotted hyena · Game drives

Price on request

Singita Sweni Lodge

Mpumalanga

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 53 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Singita Lebombo Lodge

Mpumalanga

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 50 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Plains Camp @ Rhino Walking Safaris

Mpumalanga

Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Aardvark, African elephant · Guided walk, Game drives

Supports BirdLife South Africa

Price on request

Jaci's Private Lodge

Madikwe

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 71 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Game drives, Photography

Supports Jaci's Lodge Trust

From R 31,500 per night

&Beyond Tengile River Lodge

Bushbuckridge

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 37 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Wildlife viewing

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 93,000 per night

&Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge

Hoedspruit

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 31 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Game drives

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 37,800 per night

&Beyond Ngala Tented Camp

Phalaborwa

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 31 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Dining experiences

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 52,000 per night

Mdluli Safari Lodge

Hazyview

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Game drives

From R 10,670 per night

Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge

Hazyview

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Scenic drives

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 17,400 per night

Dulini Moya

Bushbuckridge

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 38 birds recorded · Leadwood, Leopard · Safaris, Scenic drives

From R 28,990 per night

Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp

Marloth Park

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Impala, Spotted hyena · Safaris, Guided walk

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 11,980 per night

Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp

Marloth Park

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 224 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Guided walk

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 17,500 per night

Satara Rest Camp

Kruger National Park

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 52 birds recorded · Blue wildebeest, Cheetah · Photography

From R 331 per night

Tlopi Tented Camp

Marakele National Park

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 45 birds recorded · African elephant, Leopard

From R 1,866 per night

Dulini River

Bushbuckridge

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 38 birds recorded · Sausage tree, Leopard · Safaris, Scenic drives

From R 28,990 per night

Dulini Leadwood

Bushbuckridge

Little Bee-eater recorded here · Savanna biome · 38 birds recorded · Leadwood, Jackalberry · Safaris, Game drives

Supports Endangered Wildlife Trust

From R 28,990 per night

More stays nearby

Babylonstoren

Klapmuts, Simondium

12 birds recorded · Angulate tortoise, Wild olive · Spa, Vineyards

Price on request

Thonga Beach Lodge

Manguzi

Forest biome · 60 birds recorded · Humpback whale, Southern right whale · Canoeing, Snorkelling

Price on request

La Clé Lodge & Villas

Franschhoek

Fynbos biome · Cycling

Price on request

Coot Club

Stanford

Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · 8 birds recorded · White milkwood, Southern right whale · Whale watching, Canoeing

Price on request

Ubuntu Lodge at Elephant Point

Hazyview

Savanna biome · 1 bird recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Scenic drives

Price on request

Vergenoegd Löw Boutique Hotel & Spa

Somerset West

Fynbos biome · 1 bird recorded · Vineyards, Wine tasting

Price on request

Plan a trip around these stays

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Little Bee-eater

Hosts have recorded the Little Bee-eater at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Timbavati Private Nature Reserve.

Best hours of the day

The first hours after sunrise, and late afternoon. Birds call and feed most in the cool.
Midday. Quieter, especially in summer heat.

Where to base yourself

Ways to look

Drive yourself

Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.

Where hosts record it

Kruger Marakele

Guided drives from a lodge

A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.

Where hosts record it

Sabi Sand Timbavati

Species

Merops pusillus

Records

1 569

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Little Bee-eater on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

Which parks and reserves are best for the Little Bee-eater in South Africa?

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Little Bee-eater at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, Madikwe Game Reserve and Marakele National Park. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.

Where can you see the Little Bee-eater in South Africa?

The Little Bee-eater is most recorded in KwaZulu-Natal (49% of records), Limpopo (24% of records), Mpumalanga (19% of records), based on 1 569 iNaturalist observations. 18 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Little Bee-eater on site or nearby.

When is the best time to see the Little Bee-eater?

The Little Bee-eater is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; Sabi Sand Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep optimal; Timbavati Private Nature Reserve: May-Sep, dry season; Madikwe Game Reserve: Apr-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.