Whilst birding the Raydah Escarpment recently I saw a few Arabian Sunbird Cinnyris hellmayri & Palestine Sunbird Cinnyris osea. The birds were feeding on flower heads and were very active. Arabian Sunbird has previously been treated as conspecific with Shining Sunbird Cinnyris habessinicus, but differs in males by having much-reduced and slightly duller red breast-band and more extensive and deeper blue reflectant uppertail-coverts. In females they differ by having much darker grey or grey-brown plumage. They are a larger size and have a different song. There are locally common in their favoured areas. The Palestine Sunbird occurs mainly in Arabia, which comprises more than 70% of its global range with the subspecies C. o. osea occurring which is near endemic to Arabia. It is a very common breeding resident in Saudi Arabia and easy to locate due to its bright sparkling plumage. It is the smallest bird in Saudi Arabia and is found mainly throughout the Hijaz and ‘Asir highlands, normally above 1,500 m, but occasionally from sea level on the northern Red Sea coast.
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| Arabian Sunbird |
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| Arabian Sunbird |
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| Arabian Sunbird |
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| Palestine Sunbird |
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| Palestine Sunbird |
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| Palestine Sunbird |
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| Palestine Sunbird |
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| Palestine Sunbird |
