Cinnyris nectarinioides
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The black-bellied sunbird (Cinnyris nectarinioides) is a small sunbird located primarily in Africa. Two subspecies are recognized: the Cinnyris nectarinioides erlangeri, which is smaller and found in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya; and the Cinnyris nectarinioides nectarinioides, which is larger and found in Kenya and Tanzania. This bird inhabits savannah, wetlands, and terrestrial freshwater areas.
This species has an average size of 13cm for males and 10 cm for females with both weights typically ranging from 4 to 6 grams. The black-bellied sunbird feeds on nectar, insects and spiders, the latter having gained it the nickname "spiderhunter". They forage in the higher levels of trees and perch in order to feed. These birds do not migrate in different seasons of the year, and inhabit the same area year round.
The black-bellied sunbird is part of the species Cinnyris nectarinioides and has two recognized subspecies. The smaller, the Cinnyris nectarinioides erlangeri inhabits Northeast Kenya and can also be found in Southeast Ethiopia and South Somalia. The larger subspecies, the Cinnyris nectarinioides nectarinioides, inhabits Southeast Kenya and Northeast Tanzania. Both... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bellied Sunbird sighting in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, based on 54 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 164th most-seen of the 345 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June–August and October–March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bellied Sunbird in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–May and September, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-bellied 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.
5th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Black-bellied Sunbird sightings, Tsavo East National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Meru National Park (Kenya, about 50%), Mkomazi National Park (Tanzania, about 40%) and Samburu National Reserve (Kenya, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-bellied Sunbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Tsavo East National Park (54 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.
