Oculocincta squamifrons
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pygmy Ibon sighting in Kinabalu Park on a given day, based on 179 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 86th most-seen of the 247 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, April–June and August–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pygmy Ibon in Kinabalu Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–March, July and October–December, the lowest months.
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.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Pygmy Ibon sightings, Kinabalu Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, under 5%).
Same family: Zosteropidae
The closest relatives of the Pygmy Ibon that you can see in Kinabalu Park (family Zosteropidae, White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies) are Black-capped White-eye (about 60%), Chestnut-crested Yuhina (about 60%) and Mountain Blackeye (about 30%), 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 Kinabalu Park (179 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.
