Birds · Passeriformes · Zosteropidae

Warbling White-eye

Zosterops japonicus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The warbling white-eye is a tiny olive-green bird with a strongly marked white ring around the eye that gives it its name. It is extremely abundant in Japan, Korea and China, where it visits flowers in search of nectar and insects. Introduced to Hawaii in the 1920s, it has become the most abundant land bird in the archipelago and a serious problem for the native birdlife.

Weight

9 g – 13 g

Size

10 cm – 12 cm

Lifespan

9 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

It is the most abundant land bird in Hawaii, where it was introduced in the 1920s and from where it has displaced several native species through competition and disease transmission.
The white-eyes are one of the fastest-diversifying groups of birds: they colonise islands and generate new species at such a rate that they are called the great speciator among birds.
Its tongue ends in a brush of filaments, an adaptation to nectar that it shares with honeyeaters and sunbirds without being related to them.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Woodland, scrub, orchards, parks and gardens of East Asia and of the islands where it has been introduced
Size at birth: Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 11 days
Litter / clutch size: 3.5 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zosterops_japonicus