Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater vs gorilla

Merops oreobates compared with Gorilla gorilla

Key Differences

• Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater is Least Concern while gorilla is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater	gorilla
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Aves (Birds)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Coraciiformes (Coraciiformes)	Primates (Primates)
Family	Meropidae	Hominidae (Great Apes)
Genus	Merops	Gorilla (Gorillas)
Species	Merops oreobates	Gorilla gorilla

Evolutionary Relationship

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater and gorilla share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

LC — Least Concern

gorilla

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater	gorilla
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	40 years
Average Length	—	1.7 m
Average Weight	—	160.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.

gorilla

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 4 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Cameroon, Congo (Republic), Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

The cinnamon-chested bee-eater (Merops oreobates) is a colorful, aerial insectivore in the family Meropidae, endemic to the highlands of East Africa. It is found in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DRC, typically at elevations between 1,500 and 3,000 meters in montane forest edge, woodland clearings, and cultivated areas with tall trees. Like all bee-eaters, it is a masterful aerial hunter, catching bees, wasps, and other flying insects in fast pursuit flights from open perches. The plumage is brilliant—green upperparts, a bright blue rump and undertail, a distinctive cinnamon-rufous chest, and a black gorget separating the throat from the breast. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with stable populations across the East African highlands. It often nests colonially, digging burrows into earthen banks or flat ground. The cinnamon-chested bee-eater is absent from Europe; Norwegian database records are data entry errors. This bee-eater is a popular species with birdwatchers visiting the East African highlands, often observed conspicuously from perches at forest edges. Conservation of highland forest and woodland habitats, and the retention of earthen banks for nesting, are beneficial for this species.

gorilla

The world's largest primate, western gorillas weigh up to 180 kg and inhabit the tropical and subtropical forests of equatorial Africa. Primarily herbivorous, living in family groups led by a silverback male who protects the troop and mediates social conflicts. Critically Endangered, with populations threatened by deforestation, poaching for bushmeat, and outbreaks of Ebola virus disease.