(merops breweri)
The Black-headed Bee-eater is an uncommon bird whose range is restricted to Gabon, CAR, Congo and DRC. It is thinly spread and usually occurs only in pairs. It is difficult to find due to its habit of sitting just below the canopy and its almost silent nature. A green, black and yellow bird easily merges into a leafy tree.
Despite a particular effort we were unable to find any at Leconi where it is regularly seen in the more open woodland and we were beginning to despair of finding any for the trip. However, Loango came up trumps with a pair seen from a boat near to Saint Anne's Mission. The views were not the greatest but it was enough. Then a couple of days later as we were wandering rather aimlessly about and seeing very little in the patchwork of grass and forest close to Gavilo Lodge a bird shot out from a tunnel in the sandy soil. Amazingly we had stumbled, almost literally, onto a Black-headed Bee-eater's nest hole. The pair of birds hung around on the edge of the forest watching us until they could return to their nest hole.
The views were unfortunately just a little distant for a quality photo.