Black-bellied Sunbird
Cinnyris nectarinioides
The Black-bellied Sunbird (Cinnyris nectarinioides) is a rare spiderhunters and sunbird found in 3 countries, weighing about 5 g. The black-bellied sunbird (Cinnyris nectarinioides) is a small sunbird located primarily in Africa.
About the Black-bellied Sunbird
The black-bellied sunbird (Cinnyris nectarinioides) is a small sunbird located primarily in Africa. Two subspecies are recognized: the Cinnyris nectarinioides erlangeri, which is smaller and found in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya; and the Cinnyris nectarinioides nectarinioides, which is larger and found in Kenya and Tanzania. This bird inhabits savannah, wetlands, and terrestrial freshwater areas.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black-bellied sunbird can be characterized by a curved bill used for nectar feeding and a small frame. These birds often weigh just 4–6 grams and as grown males tend to be around 13 cm large, while females remain around 10 cm. This sunbird is sexually dimorphic with differences in plumage between males and females and slight differences between breeding and non-breeding males. A breeding male has a golden-green head, upperparts, chin, and throat. The bases of its feathers and upper tail are black with the rest of the upper tail being a dark metallic blue.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Black-bellied Sunbird can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black-bellied Sunbird?
- The black-bellied sunbird can be characterized by a curved bill used for nectar feeding and a small frame. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black-bellied Sunbird?
- The Black-bellied Sunbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 5 g.
- Where can you see a Black-bellied Sunbird?
- The Black-bellied Sunbird occurs in 3 countries, including Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
- What birds look similar to a Black-bellied Sunbird?
- The Black-bellied Sunbird is most easily confused with the Abyssinian Sunbird, the Abyssinian Sunbird and the Neergaard's Sunbird.
- Is the Black-bellied Sunbird endangered?
- The Black-bellied Sunbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Black-bellied 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.