Scientifc name: Merops nubicus (JF Gmelin 1788).

The carmine bee-eater's habitat is wooded savannas, grassy plains, swamps, lakeshores and mangrove forests from Senegal to Somalia. Southern species breed in Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
Moves into South Africa after breeding. Carmine Bee-eaters inhabit a belt of country from Senegal in the west to Abyssinia and Somalia in the east. During non-breeding seasons they migrate south to Kenya, Zaire, and Tanzania. The Bee-eater family is believed to have arisen in Southeast Asia rain forests and spread to Africa.

Carmine bee-eaters feed as they fly, sometimes soaring above 300 feet. The northern species ride on the backs of large mammals catching insects flushed into the open. Also, they fly beside vehicles
and herds and are attracted to brushfires, all opportunities to seize escaping insects.

Books: Kingfishers, Bee-Eaters, & Rollers: A Handbook.