The bird genus “Zosterops” contains the typical white-eyes – traditionally placed in the white-eye family “Zosteropidae.”
Distribution / Range
They occur naturally in the…
- Afrotropic ecoregion (including Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the southern and eastern fringes of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean);
- the Indomalaya zone (Eastern Himalayan broadleaf and conifer forests and Western Himalayan temperate forests);
- the Australasia ecozone (the islands of the southern Pacific Ocean, including Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea)
Description
Typical white-eyes measure between 3 – 6 inches (8 – 15 cm) – from top of the head to tip of tail.. Most of them have distinctive white feather rings around the eyes. They have rounded wings and strong legs, and slender, pointed bills and brush-tipped tongues.
These sociable birds usually form large flocks outside the breeding season.
Further Reading
Diet / Feeding
These White-eyes feed,on insects, nectar and various fruits.
Breeding / Nesting
Their nests are situated on trees. The average clutch consists of 2 – 4 unspotted, pale-blue eggs.
