Variable Sunbird
Cinnyris venustus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyNectariniidae (Sunbirds and Spiderhunters)
- GenusCinnyris (Cinnyris Sunbirds)
- SpeciesCinnyris venustus (Variable Sunbird)
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. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time. The variable sunbird is a fairly common resident breeder in equatorial Africa. Two eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Gonarezhou National Park
White-breasted Sunbird
Cinnyris talatala
Mariqua Sunbird
Cinnyris mariquensis
Purple-banded Sunbird
Cinnyris bifasciatus
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Chalcomitra senegalensis
Collared Sunbird
Hedydipna collaris
Amethyst Sunbird
Chalcomitra amethystina
Meves's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis mevesii
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
Blue-breasted Cordonbleu
Uraeginthus angolensis
Tropical Boubou
Laniarius major
Southern Gray-headed Sparrow
Passer diffusus
Black-backed Puffback
Dryoscopus cubla
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Variable Sunbird at Gonarezhou National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ 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