Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird

Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird

Anthreptes orientalis

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Mkomazi National Park

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

77 Verified sightings at Mkomazi National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,462 In all 12 parks
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird

The eastern violet-backed sunbird (Anthreptes orientalis), also known as the Kenya violet-backed sunbird, is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in arid savanna of East Africa, ranging from Djibouti in north to Tanzania in south. It is part of the violet-backed sunbird superspecies. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:37

Tanzania · 2019

© Peter Boesman · XC509864 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:45

Ethiopia · 2015

© Andrew Spencer · XC267767 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:49

Kenya · 2018

© Frank Lambert · XC468993 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~40%
2 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~40%
3 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
4 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
5 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
6 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
7 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
8 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
9 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
10 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
11 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
12 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird in Mkomazi National Park?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird sighting in Mkomazi National Park on a given day, based on 77 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 19th most-seen of the 272 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird in Mkomazi National Park?

January

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird in Mkomazi National Park on a given day, against about 30% in February–April and September, the lowest months. May has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird?

Between 6 and 9 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Kenya Violet-backed 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.

Is Mkomazi National Park the best place to see a Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird?

Among the best

Of the 12 parks where we can rate Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird sightings, Mkomazi National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Samburu National Reserve (Kenya, about 40%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird live in Mkomazi National Park?

Same family: Nectariniidae

The closest relatives of the Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird that you can see in Mkomazi National Park (family Nectariniidae, Sunbirds and Spiderhunters) are Black-bellied Sunbird (about 40%), Hunter's Sunbird (about 30%) and Tsavo Sunbird (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Mkomazi National Park (77 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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