Coastal Silver-stiletto vs Collared Sunbird

Acrosathe annulata compared with Hedydipna collaris

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Silver-stiletto	Collared Sunbird
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Diptera (Diptera)	Passeriformes (Songbirds)
Family	Therevidae	Nectariniidae
Genus	Acrosathe	Hedydipna
Species	Acrosathe annulata	Hedydipna collaris

Evolutionary Relationship

Coastal Silver-stiletto and Collared Sunbird share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Coastal Silver-stiletto

LC — Least Concern

Collared Sunbird

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Silver-stiletto	Collared Sunbird
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Collared Sunbird

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.

Coastal Silver-stiletto

Coastal silver stiletto (Acrosathe annulata) is a slender robber fly in the family Therevidae, native to northwestern Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavia. Adults are found on coastal sand dunes and sandy heathland, where they perch on bare sand to ambush small flying insects. Stiletto flies in the family Therevidae are characterised by a slender body, long pointed abdomen, and predatory habits; adults prey on a variety of small dipterans and other flying insects during warm, sunny periods. Larvae develop in sandy soil, where they are also predatory, feeding on other invertebrate larvae. Acrosathe annulata is a habitat specialist restricted to open, sandy coastal habitats with sparse vegetation—environments that have declined substantially across northwestern Europe due to dune stabilisation, recreational disturbance, and the cessation of traditional dune management. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, though regional conservation bodies in the United Kingdom have flagged population declines. It is considered an indicator of high-quality coastal sand dune habitats and is monitored through national invertebrate surveys.

Collared Sunbird

The Collared Sunbird, known scientifically as <em>Hedydipna collaris</em>, is a small passerine bird belonging to the family Nectariniidae, the sunbirds. <em>Hedydipna collaris</em> is characterised by its iridescent plumage, with males typically displaying vibrant metallic green upperparts and a bright yellow belly separated by a purple collar band — a feature central to the species' common and scientific names. The species is primarily nectarivorous, feeding on nectar from flowering plants using its curved bill and brush-tipped tongue, and also consuming insects for protein. It inhabits forest edges, gardens, wooded savanna, and secondary vegetation across its range. It is reported to occur in Norway according to available range data. Detailed biological traits including typical lifespan, body length, and weight are poorly documented for this species in available literature. The Collared Sunbird is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway