Beautiful Sunbird
Cinnyris pulchellus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyNectariniidae (Sunbirds and Spiderhunters)
- GenusCinnyris (Cinnyris Sunbirds)
- SpeciesCinnyris pulchellus (Beautiful Sunbird)
About the Beautiful Sunbird
The beautiful sunbird (Cinnyris pulchellus), formerly placed in the genus Nectarinia, is a small passerine bird in the sunbird family Nectariniidae. It is native to tropical Africa, its range extending from Senegal and Guinea in the west to Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya in the east. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the gorgeous sunbird (Cinnyris melanogastrus).
The beautiful sunbird was formally described in 1766 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Certhia pulchella. Linnaeus based his account on "Le grimpereau à longue queue du Sénégal" that had been described and illustrated in 1760 by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson. The specific epithet is from Latin pulchellum meaning "very pretty" or "beautiful little". Formerly placed in the genus Nectarinia, the beautiful sunbird is now one of 64 sunbirds placed in the genus Cinnyris that was introduced in 1816 by the French naturalist Georges Cuvier. It was previously considered to be conspecific with the gorgeous sunbird (Cinnyris melanogastrus) but the species were split based on the differences in morphology... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Beautiful Sunbird in Ruaha National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Ruaha National Park
Variable Sunbird
Cinnyris venustus
Mariqua Sunbird
Cinnyris mariquensis
Purple-banded Sunbird
Cinnyris bifasciatus
Copper Sunbird
Cinnyris cupreus
Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird
Anthreptes orientalis
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Chalcomitra senegalensis
Western Violet-backed Sunbird
Anthreptes longuemarei
Collared Sunbird
Hedydipna collaris
Amethyst Sunbird
Chalcomitra amethystina
Malachite Sunbird
Nectarinia famosa
Ashy Starling
Lamprotornis unicolor
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Niokolo-Koba National Park | 🇸🇳 Senegal | |
| 2 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 3 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 6 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 7 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 10 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 12 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 13 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 14 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 15 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 16 | Mikumi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 17 | Semuliki National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 18 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 19 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 20 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 21 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 22 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| 23 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Beautiful Sunbird in Ruaha National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Beautiful Sunbird sighting in Ruaha National Park, based on 103 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Beautiful Sunbird in Ruaha National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Beautiful Sunbird in Ruaha National Park in our monthly data.