Little Spiderhunter

Little Spiderhunter

Arachnothera longirostra

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
at Danum Valley Conservation Area

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

1,032 Verified sightings at Danum Valley Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026
5,175 In all 25 parks
October Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Little Spiderhunter

The little spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra) is a species of long-billed nectar-feeding bird in the family Nectariniidae found in the moist forests of South and Southeast Asia. Unlike typical sunbirds, males and females are very similar in plumage. They are usually seen in ones or twos and frequently make a tzeck call. They are most often found near flowering plants where they obtain nectar.

The distinctive long beak set it apart from other sunbirds. The sexes are similar, except that the female has a paler base on the lower mandible. Male has all black beak. They are found near their favourite nectar bearing trees, often species of wild Musaceae or flowers in gardens. They have a buzzy zick-zick call that is made regularly when disturbed or when foraging. Additionally, the song is series of rapid chipping notes and these can go on for long periods.

The genus name Arachnothera means "spider hunter" and the species epithet refers to the long beak. About thirteen geographic races are recognized. The nominate race longirostra (Latham, 1790) is found in southwestern India, central and northeastern India, foothills of the Himalayas and into Thailand... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:12

Singapore · 2026

© Joan Theng · XC1175104 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Uncertain0:06

Vietnam · 2026

© Tim Dinh / Annambirding · XC1155913 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:16

Malaysia · 2022

© Amar-Singh HSS · XC721637 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~60%
2 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~50%
3 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~40%
4 Tanjung Puting National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~40%
5 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~30%
6 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~30%
7 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
8 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
9 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
10 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
11 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
12 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
13 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
14 Bako National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
15 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
16 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
17 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
18 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
19 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
20 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
21 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
22 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
23 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
24 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
25 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
2 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
~10%
3 Guwahati 🇮🇳 India
<5%
4 Jakarta 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
5 Denpasar 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Little Spiderhunter in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Likely

About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Little Spiderhunter sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, based on 1,032 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 258 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Little Spiderhunter in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

September–October and December

In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Little Spiderhunter in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, against about 40% in January and June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Little Spiderhunter?

Between 3 and 6 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Little Spiderhunter sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Danum Valley Conservation Area the best place to see a Little Spiderhunter?

Yes

Of the 25 parks where we can rate Little Spiderhunter sightings, Danum Valley Conservation Area has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Khao Luang National Park (Thailand, about 50%) and Khao Sok National Park (Thailand, about 40%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Little Spiderhunter live in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Same genus: Arachnothera

The closest relatives of the Little Spiderhunter that you can see in Danum Valley Conservation Area (genus Arachnothera, Typical Spiderhunters) are Bornean Spiderhunter (about 30%), Spectacled Spiderhunter (about 10%) and Yellow-eared Spiderhunter (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Little Spiderhunter sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Little Spiderhunter is recorded against all the birds logged in Danum Valley Conservation Area (1,032 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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