Abyssinian Sunbird (Cinnyris habessinicus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Abyssinian Sunbird

Cinnyris habessinicus (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828)

9.5 gWeight

The Abyssinian sunbird (Cinnyris habessinicus), formerly the shining sunbird, is a species of passerine bird in the sunbird family Nectariniidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Oman, Ethiopia, Kenya

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Abyssinian Sunbird has been recorded at 48 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ayn HamranOman402 records
  2. Lake Baringo – Inshore Cliffs and surroundsKenya117 records
  3. Lake Basaka – north shoreEthiopia78 records
More places
  1. Awash NPEthiopia73 records
  2. Doho LodgeEthiopia72 records
  3. Melka GhebduEthiopia70 records
  4. Awash NP – southern sectionEthiopia59 records
  5. Samburu NRKenya55 records
  6. Khawr RawriOman39 records
  7. Lake Baringo – West ShoreKenya38 records

Countries and regions with the most records

OmanEthiopiaKenyaDjiboutiSomaliaSaudi ArabiaEritrea

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Abyssinian sunbird (Cinnyris habessinicus), formerly the shining sunbird, is a species of passerine bird in the sunbird family Nectariniidae. The Arabian sunbird was formerly treated as a subspecies.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Abyssinian Sunbird?

The Abyssinian Sunbird weighs around 9.5 g.

Where does the Abyssinian Sunbird live?

Its breeding range: Africa: northeastern, eastern, also southern. It is most often recorded in Oman, Ethiopia and Kenya.

When is the best time to see the Abyssinian Sunbird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Abyssinian Sunbird endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Abyssinian Sunbird as Least Concern.

What does the Abyssinian Sunbird eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Abyssinian Sunbird in?

It belongs to the family Sunbirds (Nectariniidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
9.5 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
63 mm
Tail
48 mm
Bill
22 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: northeastern, eastern, also southern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Sunbirds Nectariniidae
Genus
Cinnyris

Other birds in the genus Cinnyris

Olive-bellied SunbirdOlive-bellied SunbirdCinnyris chloropygiusTiny SunbirdTiny SunbirdCinnyris minullusEastern Miombo SunbirdEastern Miombo SunbirdCinnyris manoensisWestern Miombo SunbirdWestern Miombo SunbirdCinnyris gertrudisSouthern Double-collared SunbirdSouthern Double-collared SunbirdCinnyris chalybeusNeergaard's SunbirdNeergaard's SunbirdCinnyris neergaardiRwenzori Double-collared SunbirdRwenzori Double-collared SunbirdCinnyris stuhlmanniWhyte's Double-collared SunbirdWhyte's Double-collared SunbirdCinnyris whyteiPrigogine's Double-collared SunbirdPrigogine's Double-collared SunbirdCinnyris prigogineiLudwig's Double-collared SunbirdLudwig's Double-collared SunbirdCinnyris ludovicensisNorthern Double-collared SunbirdNorthern Double-collared SunbirdCinnyris reichenowiGreater Double-collared SunbirdGreater Double-collared SunbirdCinnyris afer
Abyssinian Sunbird

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Markus Lilje. ↗

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