Identification
An easily overlooked forest bee-eater found in Central Africa and locally in East Africa, occurring in the forest interior and near forest edge and tree-fall gaps. Dark overall with a bluish to blue-purple head, belly, and tail, a red throat, a dark purplish-black face, a pale azure forehead, and a reddish back. May overlap locally with Blue-moustached Bee-eater in South-West Region, Cameroon, but Blue-headed Bee-eater has a pale forehead and no noticeable eye-line. Calls include a seldom-heard, two-parted “ji-up!”