Cinnyris minullus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The tiny sunbird (Cinnyris minullus) is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is sparsely distributed across the African tropical rainforest. The tiny sunbird is the smallest species in the genus. The adult male has a metallic green head, back and throat, dark brown wings, a metallic blue rump and a black tail with a purplish-blue sheen. It has a narrow blue breast band above a wider scarlet breast band, lemon-yellow pectoral tufts and a dark olive belly. The adult female has an olive-brown head and upper parts, dark brown wings and dark brown tail. There is an olive-yellow supercilium over the eye, the throat is grey and the underparts are olive washed with yellow. The eyes in both sexes are dark brown and the beak and legs are black. The juvenile resembles the female.
The tiny sunbird is found in primary and secondary forests, forest edges, clearings and among scattered trees in savanna country and around villages. It forages in the canopy singly or in pairs, and sometimes joins small, mixed species flocks. It feeds on nectar, insects and spiders.
The tiny sunbird is described as a widespread species that is generally not uncommon... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tiny Sunbird sighting in Kibale National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 321st most-seen of the 366 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 Tiny Sunbird in Kibale National Park 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 Tiny Sunbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Tiny Sunbird sightings, Kibale National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda, under 5%).
Same genus: Cinnyris
The closest relatives of the Tiny Sunbird that you can see in Kibale National Park (genus Cinnyris, Cinnyris Sunbirds) are Olive-bellied Sunbird (about 50%), Copper Sunbird (about 20%) and Superb Sunbird (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tiny Sunbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Kibale National Park (9 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.
