Variable Sunbird (Cinnyris venustus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Variable Sunbird

Cinnyris venustus (Shaw, 1799)

10 cmLength6.6 gWeight

The variable sunbird or yellow-bellied sunbird (Cinnyris venustus), formerly Nectarinia venusta, is a sunbird.

Busiest months: February, July and November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Variable Sunbird has been recorded at 337 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 26 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nairobi NPKenya1,597 records
  2. Arusha NPTanzania529 records
  3. Nairobi River @ National Museums of KenyaKenya467 records
More places
  1. Karura ForestKenya389 records
  2. Amurum Forest ReserveNigeria351 records
  3. Aga Khan University – Loilenok Hills and FieldsTanzania298 records
  4. Lake Nakuru NPKenya244 records
  5. Aberfoyle LodgeZimbabwe232 records
  6. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania227 records
  7. Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club, MaruruiKenya227 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaTanzaniaUgandaGambiaEthiopiaZimbabweRwandaNigeria

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 variable sunbird or yellow-bellied sunbird (Cinnyris venustus), formerly Nectarinia venusta, is a sunbird. The sunbirds are a group of small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings.

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

Questions

How big is the Variable Sunbird?

The Variable Sunbird is about 10 cm long and weighs around 6.6 g.

Where does the Variable Sunbird live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western, central, eastern. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

When is the best time to see the Variable Sunbird?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February, July and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Variable Sunbird endangered?

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

What does the Variable Sunbird eat?

Main food: Nectar.

What family is the Variable Sunbird in?

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

At a glance

Length
10 cm
Weight
6.6 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Nectar
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
50 mm
Tail
34 mm
Bill
18 mm
Tarsus
15 mm

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

Range

Africa: western, central, eastern

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
Variable Sunbird

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

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