biology

Rufous-crowned bee-eater

Rufous-crowned bee-eater is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Rufous-crowned bee-eater rather than just read about it. In short: 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.

Key takeaways

Rufous-crowned bee-eater belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Rufous-crowned bee-eater to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Rufous-crowned bee-eater from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

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.

Description and taxonomy 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. It is still confused with M. viridis as it is still called blue-throated bee-eater by many including eBird. It differs from M. viridis in having a red-brown crown and mantle (rather than dark brown), and a paler greenish-blue throat and cheeks (rather than dark blue).

Ecology and behavior This specific species has yet to be studied in depth. This species is presumed to be an insectivore, and true to its name feeds heavily on bees. This species is considered a pest by bee-keepers. This species breeds from February to May in communal nest burrows on sloping ground and banks. These tunnels go as far as 1 m deep. Average clutch size 3 to 5 eggs.

Habitat and conservation status It inhabits open country and clearings adjacent to forested areas, including over scrub and cogon fields, using dead trees and telephone wires as perches. The IUCN Red List has assessed this bird as least-concern species as it is common and is able to tolerate open habitat.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Rufous-crowned bee-eater

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Rufous-crowned bee-eater claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Rufous-crowned bee-eater before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Rufous-crowned bee-eater ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Rufous-crowned bee-eater

In research: Rufous-crowned bee-eater appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Rufous-crowned bee-eater in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Rufous-crowned bee-eater is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Birds described in 1776, Birds of the Philippines, Coraciiformes stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Rufous-crowned bee-eater outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Rufous-crowned bee-eater in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Rufous-crowned bee-eater means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Rufous-crowned bee-eater out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rufous-crowned bee-eater in simple terms?

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.

Why does Rufous-crowned bee-eater matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Rufous-crowned bee-eater?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Rufous-crowned bee-eater.