The World Birds: White-eyes and Allies (Zosteropidae)

THE WORLD BIRDS - An Online Bird Book

Babblers, Yuhinas, White-Eyes

Order Passeriformes Family Zosteropidae

The white-eyes are small birds native to tropical, subtropical and temperate Sub-Saharan Africa, southern and eastern Asia, and Australasia. White-eyes inhabit most tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Guinea.

White-eyes are mostly of undistinguished appearance, the plumage being generally greenish olive above, and pale gray below. Some species have a white or bright yellow throat, breast or lower parts, and several have buff flanks. They have rounded wings and strong legs. They have slender, pointed bills, and brush-tipped tongues.[1] The size ranges up to 15 cm in length. All the species of white-eyes are sociable, forming large flocks which only separate on the approach of the breeding season. Though mainly insectivorous, they eat nectar and fruits of various kinds.

Genus Apalopteron - 1 species

White-eye,_Bonin Apalopteron familiare Found: Ogasawara Islands (formerly Bonin Islands) of Japan
Image by: 1) John Lathan 2) Tomohide_shimura

Genus Chlorocharis - 1 species

Black-eye,_Mountain Chlorocharis emiliae Found: Borneo
Image by: 1) Nigel_Voaden

Genus Cleptornis - 1 species

White-eye,_Golden Cleptornis marchei Found: Northern Mariana Islands (near Guam)
Image by: 1) Peter 2) Ltshears

Genus Dasycrotapha

Babbler,_Flame-templed Dasycrotapha speciosa Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) tebanwuds

Babbler,_Mindanao also Mindanao Pygmy Babbler Dasycrotapha plateni Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Nobuo_Matsumura

Babbler,_Visayan also Visayan Pygmy Babbler Dasycrotapha pygmaea Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Rob Hutchinson

Genus Heleia

White-eye,_Flores also Thick-billed Heleia Found: islands of Sumbawa and Flores of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Achmad_Ridha_Junaid - Flores

White-eye,_Spot-breasted also Spot-breasted Heleia Heleia muelleri Found: Timor
Image by: 1) James_Eaton - West Timor of Indonesia

Genus Lophozosterops
Found : Islands of The Philippines and Indonesia
They are generally restricted to one or a few islands.

White-eye,_Cream-browed Lophozosterops superciliaris Found: Indonesia
Image by: 1) Ingo_Waschkies - Flores of Indonesia

White-eye,_Dark-crowned also Crested Ibon Lophozosterops dohertyi Found: Indonesia
Image by: 1) Ron_Knight 2) Feri_Irawan

White-eye,_Gray-hooded Lophozosterops pinaiae Found: Seram Island of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Marcel_Holyoak 2) Pierre-Henri_Fabre

White-eye,_Javan_Gray-throated also Gray-throated Ibon Lophozosterops javanicus Found: Java and Bali of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Lip_Kee - Java 2) Adhy_Maruly - Java

White-eye,_Mindanao also Mindanao Ibon Lophozosterops goodfellowi Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Nobuo_Matsumura - Mindanao of The Philippines

White-eye,_Streak-headed also Streak-headed Ibon Lophozosterops squamiceps Found: Sulawesi of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Peter_Ericsson 2) Ariefrahman - North Sulawesi

Genus Megazosterops - 1 species

White-eye,_Giant Megazosterops palauensis Found: Palau - island country in western Pacific Ocean
Image by: 1) Devonpike

Genus Oculocincta - 1 species

White-eye,_Pygmy also Pygmy Ibon Oculocincta squamifrons Found: north Borneo
Image by: 1) Michelle_and_Peter_Wong

Genus Rukia

White-eye,_Truk Rukia ruki Found: Chuuk (Truk) atoll in Micronesia.
Image by: 1) Nauru_Post

White-eye,_Long-billed Rukia longirostra Found: island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.
Image by: 1) Nauru Post

Genus Sterrhoptilus
Found : Philippines

Babbler,_Black-crowned Sterrhoptilus nigrocapitatus Found: Philippines

The Black-crowned Babbler has brownish-gray upperparts; black crown; whitish underparts.

Image by: 1) hbw,com

Babbler,_Golden-crowned Sterrhoptilus dennistouni Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 2) Marijn_Prins - Luzon

Babbler,_Rusty-crowned Sterrhoptilus capitalis Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Joseph_Smit 2) Ramon_Quisumbing

Genus Tephrozosterops - 1 species

White-eye,_Rufescent Tephrozosterops stalkeri Found: island of Seram in Indonesia
Image by: 1) James Eaton

Genus Woodfordia
Found: Solomon Islands

White-eye,_Bare-eyed Woodfordia superciliosa Found: Rennell Island in the Solomon Islands
Image by: 1) Henrik_Gronvold 2) Tony_Morris

White-eye,_Sanford's Woodfordia lacertosa Found: Solomon Islands
Image by: 1) hbw.com

Genus Yuhina
Found: Asia
The yuhinas were previous placed in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae.

Yuhina,_Black-chinned Yuhina nigrimenta Found: Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia
Image by: by: 1) Dibyendu_Ash - India 2) Fisherbray

Yuhina,_Burmese Yuhina humilis Found: Myanmar, Thailand
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 2) Gary_Kinard

Yuhina,_Chestnut-crested Yuhina everetti Found: Borneo

The Chestnut-crested Yuhina has olive-gray upperparts; chestnut crown, nape; white underparts.

Image by:1, 2) Tom Tarrant - Malaysia 3) Karim_Madoya - Borneo

Yuhina,_Indochinese also Chestnut-collared Yuhina Yuhina torqueola Found: northeast Indian subcontinent to western Southeast Asia

The Indochinese Yuhina is also consider a subspecies of the Striated Yuhina.

Image by: 1) zhongying_koay 2) Michelle_and_Peter_Wong

Yuhina,_Rufous-vented Yuhina occipitalis Found:Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet

The Rufous-vented Yuhina has grayish-brown upperparts; rufous crest, vent; pale underparts.

Image by:1, 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Buhtan

Yuhina,_Striated Yuhina castaniceps Found:

The Striated Yuhina has brown upperparts, creast; rufous face.

Image by: 1) Dibyendu_Ash - India 2) Francesco Veronesi

Yuhina,_Stripe-throated Yuhina gularis Found: Indian subcontinent and southwest Asia
Image by: 1) Karen_Jordan 2) Francesco_Veronesi

Yuhina,_Taiwan Yuhina brunneiceps Found: Taiwan
Image by: 1) Robert tdc 2, 3) Hiyashi Haka 4) Lin_Sun_Fong

Yuhina,_Whiskered Yuhina flavicollis Found: northern India to Southeast Asia
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - Thailand 2) Yathin - India 3) soumyajit_nandy - India

Yuhina,_White-collared Yuhina diademata Found: China, Myanmar, Vietnam
Image by: 1) Ron_Knight - China 2) Duncan_Wright

Yuhina,_White-naped Yuhina bakeri Found:Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal
Image by: 1) Kannas_AS - India 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Bhutan

Genus Zosterops
There are many species of white-eyes in this genus because they may evolve differing traits faster than any other bird species.

Silvereye Zosterops lateralis Found: Australia, New Zealand
Image by: 1, 2) David Cook - Rocky Hall, NSW, Australia 3) Laurie_Boyle 4) Dick Daniels 5) Charlie Westerinen - Wagga Wagga, Australia

Speirops,_Bioko Zosterops brunneus Found: Bioko Island of Equatorial Guinea

The Bioko has dark brown upperparts; lighter underparts; no white eye-ring.

Image by: 1) hbw.com

Speirops,_Black-capped Zosterops lugubris Found: São Tomé and Príncipe - off west coast of Afrcca
Image by: 1) Muchaxo

Speirops,_Cameroon Zosterops melanocephalus Found: Cameroon
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 2) Nigel_Voaden

Speirops,_Principe Zosterops leucophoeus Found: São Tomé and Príncipe - off west coast of Afrcca
Image by: 1) Henrik_Gronvold 2) Klaus_Ewald

White-eye, African Yellow Zosterops senegalensis Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels near Kruger National Park, South Africa 2, 3) Dick near Kruger National Park,

White-eye,_Aldabra Zosterops aldabrensis Found: Aldabra and Astove islands (Indian Ocean)
Image by: 1) Post_of_Seychelles

White-eye,_Ambon Zosterops kuehni Found:
Image by: 1) Dubi_Shapiro - Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia

White-eye,_Annobon Zosterops griseovirescens Found: Equatorial Guinea in Afica
Image by: 1) hbw.com

White-eye,_Ashy-bellied Zosterops citrinella Found: islands northwest of Australia
Image by: 1) Germandemat 2) Dubi_Shapiro

White-eye,_Australian_Yellow also Yellow White-eye Zosterops luteus Found: northern Australia
Image by: 1) Tom_Tarrant - Northern Territory 2) Dave Curtis - NWT

White-eye,_Banded Zosterops vellalavella Found: Solomon Islands

The Banded White-eye has yellowish-olive upperparts; split eye-ring; dark lores.

Image by: 1) hbw.com

White-eye,_Biak Zosterops mysorensis Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Nigel Voaden

White-eye,_Black-capped Zosterops atricapilla Found: Borneo, Malay peninsular; Sumatra

The Black-capped White-eye has olive-green upperparts; blackish forecrown, forehead; bold white eye-ring.

Image by: 1, 2) Lip_Kee - East Malaysia

White-eye,_Black-crowned Zosterops atrifrons Found: Indonesia
Image by: 1) Ariefrahman - North Sulawesi 2) Batin_Tuwuilu

White-eye,_Black-fronted Zosterops minor Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) hbw.com

White-eye,_Black-ringed Zosterops anomalus Found: Sulawesi of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi 2) Kama Jaya Shagir

White-eye,_Bridled Zosterops conspicillatus Found: Northern Mariana Islands - in western Pacific near Guam
Image by: 1) Peter

White-eye,_Broad-winged also Montane White-eye Zosterops poliogastrus Found: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania
Image by: 1) Characters 2) Herr_P

White-eye, Cape Zosterops pallidus Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Arno Meintjes 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Plettenberg Bay, South Africa 4) Cristiano Crolle - Knysna, South Africa

White-eye,_Caroline_Islands Zosterops semperi Found: Micronesia (western Pacific)
Image by: 1) Tony_Morris

White-eye,_Chestnut-flanked Zosterops erythropleurus Found: China, northern Southeast Asia

The Chestnut-flanked White-eye has chestnut patch on flanks; rest underparts whitish; bold white eye-ring; dark lores.

Image by: 1) Ayuwat_Jearwattanakanok 2) Jason_Thompson - Thailand

White-eye,_Christmas_Island also Christmas White-eye Zosterops natalis Found: Christmas Island (off northwest Australian coast)
Image by: 1) Joseph_Smit 2) Cherry Wong

White-eye,_Comoro Zosterops mouroniensis Found: island of Grand Comore in the Comoros (near Madagascar)
Image by: 1) Paul_van_Giersbergen

White-eye,_Cream-throated Zosterops atriceps Found: northern Moluccas of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Simon_van_der_Meulen 2) Oleg_Chernyshov

White-eye,_Enganno Zosterops salvadorii Found: Enggano and Mega islands of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Filip_Verbelen - Enggano Island

White-eye,_Everett's Zosterops everetti Found: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand
Image by: 1) Adolf_Meyer 2) Neil_Konrad_III_Binayao 3) zulkifli_ishak

White-eye,_Ganongga also Splendid White-eye Zosterops splendidus Found: Solomon Islands (near New Guinea)
Image by: 1) C_Filardi

White-eye,_Gray-brown Zosterops cinereus Found: Micronesia
Image by: 1) hbw.com

White-eye,_Great_Kai also Pearl-bellied White-eye Zosterops grayi Found: Kai islands of Indonesia
Image by: 1) James Eaton

White-eye,_Green-backed Zosterops xanthochroa Found: New Caldonia (northeast of Australia)

The Green-backed White-eye has dark olive-green head, back; wide white eye-ring; dark lores; yellow throat, upper-breast;white rest underparts.

Image by: 1) Papier_K 2) Thierry_Baboulenne

White-eye, Japanese Zosterops japonicus Found: Asia, Hawaii (introduced)
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8) DIck Daniels - Hawaii 4) Dick - Butterfly World - Florida

White-eye,_Javan Zosterops flavus Found: Indonesia, Malaysia
Image by: 1) FaithPR

White-eye,_Kulambangra also Kolombangara White-eye Zosterops murphyi Found: Solomon Islands
Image by: 1) hbw.com

White-eye,_Large_Lifou Zosterops inornatus Found: New Caledonia (east of Australia)
Image by: 1) Nancy Bell - Lifou Island

White-eye,_Layard's also Fiji White-eye Zosterops explorator Found: Fiji
Image by: 1) Tom_Tarrant

White-eye,_Lemon-bellied Zosterops chloris Found:Indonesian islands from the Sunda Strait to the Aru Islands

The Lemon-bellied White-eye has yellow-olive upperparts; bright yellow underparts; dark gray legs, bill.

Image by: 1) Lip_Kee

White-eye,_Little_Kai also Golden-bellied White Zosterops uropygialis Found: Kai Islands in Indonesia
Image by: 1) hbw.com

White-eye,_Louisiade Zosterops griseotinctus Found: New Guinea islands to the east of mainland
Image by: 1) Rémi Bigonneau

White-eye,_Lord_Howe Zosterops tephropleurus Found: Lord Howe Island (part of New South Wales AU)
Image by: 1) Toby_Hudson 2) lienvg

White-eye,_Lowland Zosterops meyeni Found: Philippines, Taiwan
Image by: 1) Lin_Sun_Fong.

White-eye, Madagascar also Madagascar White-eye Zosterops maderaspatanus Found: Madagascar and nearby islands
Image by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Ranomafana, Madagascar

White-eye,_Malaitia Zosterops stresemanni Found: Malaita island, in Solomon Islands
Image by: 1) Rob_Moyle

White-eye,_Mauritius also Mauritius Olive White-eye Zosterops chloronothos Found: Mauritius - east of Madagascar
Image by: 1) Jerry_Oldenettel 2) Eliane_Küpfer (wild, but friendly)

White-eye,__Mauritius_Gray Zosterops mauritianus Found: Mauritius - east of Madagascar
Image by: 1, 2) gailhampshire 3) dany13

White-eye,_Mayotte Zosterops mayottensis Found: Comoros Islands - northwest of Madagascar
Image by: 1, 2) Cécile Pheulpin

White-eye,_Moheli Zosterops comorensis Found: Mohéli (Comoro Islands - off east coast Africa)
Image by: 1) Ken_Behrens

White-eye,_Mountain Zosterops montanus Found: islands of Malesia (Indonesia) and the Philippines
Image by: 1. 2) Francesco_Veronesi - Mindanao

White-eye,_New_Guinea Zosterops novaeguineae Found: New Guinea

The New Guinea White-eye has dark yellowish olive-green upperparts; narrow white eye-ring; dark lores; yellow chin, throat, upper-breast; satin-white rest of underparts; black bill.

Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) Geoff_Jones

White-eye,_Orange_River Zosterops pallidus Found: South Africa
Image by: 1) Johann_du_Preez

White-eye, Oriental Zosterops palpebrosus Found: Asia
Image by: 1) Bhardwaj Shanthanu - Singapore 2) Jcwf 3, 4) JM Garg - India

White-eye,_Pemba Zosterops vaughani Found: Tanzania
Image by: 1) Per Holmen

White-eye,_Plain Zosterops hypolais Found: Micronesia
Image by: 1) hbw.com

White-eye,_Rennell Zosterops rennellianus Found: Rennell Island in Solomon Islands
Image by: 1) John_and_Jemi_Holmes

White-eye,_Reunion Zosterops borbonicus Found: Reunion - east of Madagascar
Image by: 1) benoitnabholz 2) Jerry_Oldenettel

White-eye,_Rota Zosterops rotensis Found: Northern Mariana Islands - near Guam
Image by: 1) Nauru Post

White-eye,_Sangihe Zosterops nehrkorni Found: Sangihe, Indonesia.
Image by: 1) Adolf_Meyer

White-eye,_Santa_Cruz Zosterops santaecrucis Found: Solomon Islands

The Vanikoro White-eye differs from the Santa Cruz White-eye by a much longer bill and different eye-ring color.

Image by: 1) hbw.com 2) Pinned

White-eye,_Sao_Tome Zosterops feae Found: Sao Tome - off west coast of Central Africa
Image by: 1) Muchaxo

White-eye,_Seram Zosterops stalkeri Found: Seram, Indonesia.

The Seram White-eye has dark brown upperparts; black sides of head, crown; grayish-white flanks; white rest underparts; yellow-bronze rump; blackish-brown upper-tail.

Image by: 1) Marcel Holyoak

White-eye,_Seychelles Zosterops modestus Found: Seychelles - east of Africa

The Seychelles White-eye has olive-upperparts; pale underparts; dark gray tail.

Image by: 1) Post_of_Seychelles 2) Foto_lulu

White-eye,_Slender-billed Zosterops tenuirostris Found: Norfolk Island of Australia
Image by: 1, 2, 3) David Cook

White-eye,_Small_Lofiu Zosterops minutus Found: New Caledonia - 750 miles east of Australia
Image by: 1) John_Gerrard_Keulemans 2) Tommy_Pedersen

White-eye,_Solomons Zosterops kulambangrae Found: New Georgia Islands in the Solomon Islands
Image by: 1) Michael_Pennay

White-eye,_Somoan Zosterops samoensis Found: Samoa - northeast of Australia
Image by: 1) Nauru_Post

White-eye,_Splendid also Gizo White-eye Zosterops luteirostris Found: Solomon Islands
Image by: 1) Wildiaries

White-eye,_Sulawesi also Pale-bellied White-eye Zosterops consobrinorum Found: Sulawesi of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Jason_Thompson

White-eye,_Tagula Zosterops meeki Found: New Guinea
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) hbw.com 3) Pinned

White-eye,_Togain Zosterops somadikartai Found: Togian Islands of Indonesia

The Togain White-eye does not have a white eye-ring.

Image by: 1) Otis_Tarda 2) Filip_Verbelen

White-eye,_Vanikoro Zosterops gibbsi Found: Santa Cruz Islands: south-east of the Solomon Islands chain

The Vanikoro White-eye differs from the Santa Cruz White-eye by a much longer bill and different eye-ring color.

Image by: 1) new_species

White-eye,_White-breasted also Abyssinian White-eye Zosterops abyssinicus Found: Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania

The White-breasted White-eye has green upperparts; narrow white eye-ring; black line in lores; pale yellow to grayish white underparts depending on race.

Image by: 1) Lip_Kee 2) cesare dolzani

White-eye,_Yap also Yap Olive White-eye Zosterops oleagineus Found: island of Yap in Micronesia
Image by: 1) hbw.com

White-eye,_Yellow-fronted also Vanuatu White-eye Zosterops flavifrons Found: Vanuatu - east of New Guinea

The male Yellow-fronted White-eye has yellow green upperparts; yellow forehead; white eye-ring; yellow or yellow-green underparts depending on subspecies.

Image by: 1) hbw.com

White-eye,_Yellowish Zosterops nigrorum Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - Luzon 2) Ramon_Quisumbing - Luzon

White-eye,_Yellow-spectacled also Yellow-ringed White-eye Zosterops wallacei Found: Lesser Sunda Islands mostly of Indonesia
Image by: 1) Ron Knight 2) Yann_Muzika

White-eye,_Yellow-throated Zosterops metcalfii Found: New Guinea and Solomon Islands
Image by: 1) Katerina_Tvardikova 2) bird-stamps.org

Genus Zosterornis
This genus is endemic to the Philippines. Some place these "babblers" in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae.

Babbler,_Chestnut-faced Zosterornis whiteheadi also Stachyris whiteheadi Found: Luzon in Philippines

The Chestnut-faced Babbler has olive-brown wings, tail; gray crown, nape; chestnut face; split white eye-ring.

Image by: 1) Llimchiu 2) Leif_Gabrielsen

Striped-Babbler,_Luzon Zosterornis striatus Found: Luzon in Philippines
Image by: 1) Leif Gabrielsen 2) Rob Hutchinson

Striped-Babbler,_Negros Zosterornis nigrorum Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Apolinario B Cariño - Negros of The Philippines 2) Yann_Muzika

Striped-Babbler,_Palawn Zosterornis hypogrammicus Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Rommel_Cruz - Palawn of The Philippines 2) James_Eaton

Striped-Babbler,_Panay Zosterornis latistriatus Found: Philippines
Image by: 1) Edward Vercruysse - Panay, The Philippines