Nile Valley Sunbird
Hedydipna metallica
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyNectariniidae (Sunbirds and Spiderhunters)
- GenusHedydipna (Short-billed Sunbirds)
- SpeciesHedydipna metallica (Nile Valley Sunbird)
The Nile Valley sunbird (Hedydipna metallica) is a species of bird in the family Nectariniidae. It is found in Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen. In February, the male Nile Valley sunbird assumes his nuptial plumage which he displays in flamboyant fashion. In winter both sexes look alike, tiny, only 9 to 10 cm long, pale grey above and washed-out yellow below, with a long, slender and slightly down-curved bill. By February the male is transformed into a glossy green extrovert with a brilliant sulfur-yellow belly and long tail streamers that add about an extra five centimetres to his length. Once transformed, he will be puffing up and parading his newfound finery and courting his duller mate. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Nile Valley Sunbird sighting in Awash National Park, based on 54 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Awash National Park
Beautiful Sunbird
Cinnyris pulchellus
Shining Sunbird
Cinnyris habessinicus
Mariqua Sunbird
Cinnyris mariquensis
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Chalcomitra senegalensis
Variable Sunbird
Cinnyris venustus
Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird
Anthreptes orientalis
Tacazze Sunbird
Nectarinia tacazze
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver
Dinemellia dinemelli
Isabelline Wheatear
Oenanthe isabellina
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Somali Fiscal
Lanius somalicus
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Lamprotornis chalybaeus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Nile Valley Sunbird in Awash National Park?
About 47% of wildlife watchers report a Nile Valley Sunbird sighting in Awash National Park, based on 54 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Nile Valley Sunbird in Awash National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Nile Valley Sunbird in Awash National Park in our monthly data.