Oculocincta squamifrons
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The pygmy heleia (Heleia squamifrons), also known as the Bornean ibon, pygmy ibon, and pygmy white-eye, is a species of bird in the white-eye family Zosteropidae. The pygmy heleia possesses a gray-brown and yellow coloring, along with a white-speckled forehead that has been described as 'scaly'.
It is endemic to the hill forest and lower montane forest of northern Borneo. It feeds on small berries, fruits, seeds and insects, foraging in small flocks of 4 to 8 birds. It will associate with other birds when feeding, including other white-eyes, cuckoo-doves, yuhinas and erpornises. The species is common but inconspicuous. Its calls are high-pitched.
va Balen, Bas (2008), "Family Zosteropidae (White-eyes)", in Josep, del Hoyo; Andrew, Elliott; David, Christie (eds.), Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 13, Penduline-tits to Shrikes, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, p. 483, ISBN 978-84-96553-45-3 Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pygmy Ibon sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 243rd most-seen of the 258 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pygmy Ibon in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pygmy Ibon sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Pygmy Ibon sightings, Danum Valley Conservation Area ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Kinabalu Park (Malaysia, about 10%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Pygmy Ibon that you can see in Danum Valley Conservation Area (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Pacific Swallow (about 60%), Little Spiderhunter (about 60%) and Slender-billed Crow (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pygmy Ibon is recorded against all the birds logged in Danum Valley Conservation Area (8 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.
