Bird Guide

Olive Sunbird

Cyanomitra olivacea

Least ConcernOmnivoreForestDomed nestTiny · 10 g

About the Olive Sunbird

The olive sunbird is a large African species of sunbird belonging to the family Nectariniidae which encompasses species of sunbirds, spiderhunters, and flowerpeckers, and sugarbirds.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

The olive sunbird is a large sunbird that ranges from 6.2-15 g in mass, 50–73 mm in wing length, 20–29 mm in bill length, 35–66 mm in tail length, and 12–15 cm in overall body size depending on the subspecies and sex. Its body colouration can vary from fully dark-olive to dull-olive with a paler olive-yellow or olive-grey underside. It has a long beak that curves downward and varies in colour from solid black to mottled grey, beige, and yellow-orange depending on the subspecies. Voice: The olive sunbird produces an incredibly loud song that accelerates throughout the song’s duration and is composed of ascending and descending notes. Cyanomitra olivacea olivacea produces a song approximately one minute long that consists of repeating ascending and descending whistles.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where the Olive Sunbird lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in South Sudan, Burkina Faso.

When to see the Olive Sunbird

Peak activity in November · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

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