Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Oman (B), Saudi Arabia (B), Somalia, Sudan, Yemen (B).
Egypt (R Nile and central-eastern coast), Sudan, Eritrea, west, northern and eastern Ethiopia, Djibouti and southern Arabia (Saudi Arabia south of Jeddah, Yemen, south-western Oman). Non-breeding visitor to eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia.
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Nile Valley Sunbird (Hedydipna metallica) [XC292806]
by Oscar Campbell from Jazan, Saudi Arabia (call, song)
Nile Valley Sunbird (Hedydipna metallica) [XC341756]
by David Darrell-Lambert from Sheyakhah Oula (near Aswan), Qism Aswan, Aswan Governorate, Egypt (call)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Genus formerly subsumed in Anthreptes. Recently, this species and its three congeners were placed in a genus Hedydipna, but this name invalid, current genus name having priority. Forms a superspecies with Pygmy Sunbird (Hedydipna platura), and formerly treated as conspecific. Birds from north-western Ethiopia (Melissai, on Adiabo Plains) with apparently short wing described as subspecies adiabonensis, but considered inadequately differentiated from those elsewhere in species' range.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet