Merops is a large genus of bee-eaters, a group of near passerine birds in the family Meropidae. The members of this Old World family are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies and usually elongated central tail feathers. They predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air.

All bee-eaters are in the genus Merops and subfamily Meropinae except for three Asiatic bearded bee-eaters in the subfamily Nyctyornithinae (in genera Nyctyornis and Meropogon).

The species in Merops are:

• Little Bee-eater, Merops pusillus
• Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Merops persicus
• Green Bee-eater, Merops orientalis
• White-throated Bee-eater, Merops albicollis
• Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Merops hirundinaeus
• Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Merops phillipinus
• Black Bee-eater, Merops gularis
• Blue-headed Bee-eater, Merops muelleri
• Red-throated Bee-eater, Merops bullocki
• White-fronted Bee-eater, Merops bullockoides
• Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Merops variegatus
• Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Merops oreobates
• Black-headed Bee-eater, Merops breweri
• Somali Bee-eater, Merops revoilii
• Böhm's Bee-eater, Merops boehmi
• Blue-throated Bee-eater, Merops viridis
• Olive Bee-eater, Merops superciliosus
• Rainbow Bee-eater, Merops ornatus
• European Bee-eater, Merops apiaster
• Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Merops leschenaulti
• Rosy Bee-eater, Merops malimbicus
• Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Merops nubicus
• Southern Carmine Bee-eater, Merops nubicoides

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References

• C H Fry & Kathie Fry; illustrated by Alan Harris (2000). Kingfishers, Bee-eaters and Rollers. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-04879-7.