Black Sunbird

Black Sunbird

Leptocoma sericea

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Tangkoko Nature Reserve

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

293 Verified sightings at Tangkoko Nature Reserve From 2019 to 2026
659 In all 2 parks
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black Sunbird

The black sunbird (Leptocoma aspasia) is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in eastern Indonesia and New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest.

It is a small songbird with a long down-curved bill and iridescent body. The black sunbird has a lifespan of approximately 3.6 years. The coloring of the birds differentiate between male and female. The male black sunbird is midnight black in color with an iridescent blue-purple stripe across the upper chest. There is a crown of lustrous green on the head, while the wings and tail are glossed blue. In many regions, the throat area is iridescent reddish-purple; however, moving northward it shifts towards a bluish sparkle (Moluccas and Kai Islands). The female black sunbird has a completely different color complex than her male counterpart. Her coloration across the chest and body is dusted greenish-yellow. The wings are smothered brown as well as the head. In northern areas, the color of the female black sunbird is "nondescript", with a charcoal colored head, with an olive-green upper-body and yellow underbody. The juvenile... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Raja Ampat 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%
2 Tangkoko Nature Reserve 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black Sunbird in Tangkoko Nature Reserve?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black Sunbird sighting in Tangkoko Nature Reserve on a given day, based on 293 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 35th most-seen of the 138 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black Sunbird in Tangkoko Nature Reserve?

May and September

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black Sunbird in Tangkoko Nature Reserve on a given day, against about 20% in April and June, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Black Sunbird?

Between 6 and 9 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black 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 Tangkoko Nature Reserve the best place to see a Black Sunbird?

Among the best

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Black Sunbird sightings, Tangkoko Nature Reserve ranks 2nd at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Raja Ampat (Indonesia, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Black Sunbird live in Tangkoko Nature Reserve?

Same family: Nectariniidae

The closest relatives of the Black Sunbird that you can see in Tangkoko Nature Reserve (family Nectariniidae, Sunbirds and Spiderhunters) are Brown-throated Sunbird (about 20%) and Crimson Sunbird (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Black Sunbird sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black Sunbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Tangkoko Nature Reserve (293 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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