How do you identify a Tsavo Sunbird?

The Tsavo sunbird is 9.5 to 10 cm (3.75 to 4 inches) long. Full identification notes are on this page.

How big is a Tsavo Sunbird?

The Tsavo Sunbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 7 g.

Where can you see a Tsavo Sunbird?

The Tsavo Sunbird occurs in 2 countries, including Kenya and Tanzania.

What birds look similar to a Tsavo Sunbird?

The Tsavo Sunbird is most easily confused with the Usambara Double-collared Sunbird, the Orange-tufted Sunbird and the Orange-tufted Sunbird.

Is the Tsavo Sunbird endangered?

The Tsavo Sunbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Tsavo Sunbird

Cinnyris tsavoensis

Spiderhunters and Sunbirds · Passeriformes · Rare

The Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis) is a rare spiderhunters and sunbird found in 2 countries, weighing about 7 g. The Tsavo sunbird is a small passerine bird of Kenya and Tanzania.

Least ConcernRareEats nectarshrublanddome nest7 g

Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis), photo 1 — Photo: Nikhil R R · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis), photo 2 — Photo: Nikhil R R · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis), photo 3 — Photo: Nikhil R R · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis), photo 4 — Photo: Nikhil R R · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis), photo 5 — Photo: Nikhil R R · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis), photo 6 — Photo: Nikhil R R · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis), photo 7 — Photo: Nikhil R R · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis), photo 8 — Photo: Nikhil R R · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis), photo 9 — Photo: desertnaturalist · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Tsavo Sunbird (Cinnyris tsavoensis), photo 10 — Photo: Tom Field · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About the Tsavo Sunbird

The Tsavo sunbird is a small passerine bird of Kenya and Tanzania. It is sometimes lumped with the purple-banded sunbird.

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

How to identify it

The Tsavo sunbird is 9.5 to 10 cm (3.75 to 4 inches) long. The bill is down-curved and rather short for a sunbird, especially compared to that of the otherwise similar Marico sunbird. The female is greyish-brown above and on the head with a white eyebrow stripe; the throat is either white or dusky with white edges (malar strips). The underparts are faintly yellow-tinged white with dusky stripes on the breast. The tail is bluish-black with grey edges and tip. The juvenile male looks like the dark-throated form of the female.

Where it lives

Kenya Tanzania

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, September, October, November, December, 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 Tsavo Sunbird?: The Tsavo sunbird is 9.5 to 10 cm (3.75 to 4 inches) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Tsavo Sunbird?: The Tsavo Sunbird is a tiny sized bird weighing about 7 g.
Where can you see a Tsavo Sunbird?: The Tsavo Sunbird occurs in 2 countries, including Kenya and Tanzania.
What birds look similar to a Tsavo Sunbird?: The Tsavo Sunbird is most easily confused with the Usambara Double-collared Sunbird, the Orange-tufted Sunbird and the Orange-tufted Sunbird.
Is the Tsavo Sunbird endangered?: The Tsavo Sunbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Tsavo 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.

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