Beautiful Sunbird
Cinnyris pulchellus
The Beautiful Sunbird (Cinnyris pulchellus) is a uncommon spiderhunters and sunbird found in 22 countries, weighing about 7 g. The beautiful sunbird, formerly placed in the genus Nectarinia, is a small passerine bird in the sunbird family Nectariniidae.
About the Beautiful Sunbird
The beautiful sunbird, formerly placed in the genus Nectarinia, is a small passerine bird in the sunbird family Nectariniidae. It is native to tropical Africa, its range extending from Senegal and Guinea in the west to Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya in the east. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the gorgeous sunbird.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Beautiful sunbirds are tiny, only 10 cm (4 in) long, although the breeding male's long tail adds another 5 cm (2 in). They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both of which are adaptations to their nectar feeding. The male has a black head, bright metallic green upper parts, scarlet breast bordered with yellow and black belly. The central feathers of the teal are greatly elongated. The female is brown above with yellowish underparts.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Central African Republic.
When to see it
The Beautiful Sunbird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Beautiful Sunbird?
- Beautiful sunbirds are tiny, only 10 cm (4 in) long, although the breeding male's long tail adds another 5 cm (2 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Beautiful Sunbird?
- The Beautiful Sunbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 7 g.
- Where can you see a Beautiful Sunbird?
- The Beautiful Sunbird occurs in 22 countries, including the Gambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Senegal and Nigeria.
- What birds look similar to a Beautiful Sunbird?
- The Beautiful Sunbird is most easily confused with the Garden Sunbird, the Garden Sunbird and the Dusky Sunbird.
- Is the Beautiful Sunbird endangered?
- The Beautiful Sunbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Beautiful Sunbird for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.