- Zosterops fuscicapilla
Identification
9·5–11 cm, 3.7-4.3 inches 10·8 g.
Male
- Black extends from rear of crown merging into geen nape
- Black forehead and lores
- Narrow white eye ring, broken by black spot in front with black streak below
- Iris chestnut to dark brown
- Beak dark grey or black, base of lower mandible light graey
- Upperparts dark yellow green
- Throat and underparts dark yellow green turning lemon at center of belly
and undertail coverts - Rump more yellow
- Rounded wings
- Retrices and Remiges dark brown
Female
- Similar to male, but less yellow and generally more dull
Juvenile
- Orange beak
- No dark on face
- Pale yellow sides
Distribution
Found in New Guinea Island, and Goodenough Island.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies:[1]
- Z. f. fuscicapilla:
- Coastal Mountains of New Guinea
- Z. f. crookshanki: Dark green head with black spot on lores, broader eye ring, less yellow underparts and green undertail coverts
- Mts. of Goodenough I. (D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago)
Habitat
Montane and second growth forest, isolated shrubs in mid-mountain grasslands and cultivated areas like the Baliem Valley, abandoned cultivation and gardens. Mainly 1200 m to 1850 m, but up to at least 2500 m in west, 2600 m in east and down to 750 m in central parts of the northern Coastal Range. Some range overlap with Black-fronted White-eye.
Behaviour
Gregarious and noisy. Moves through canopy and middle storey in tight fast moving flocks up to several dozen strong and mixed-species flocks including Grey Thornbill and Tit Berrypecker. Sometimes in pairs.
Diet
The diet includes insects and fruit.
Breeding
Nests in a basin shaped, oval structure of lightly woven plant stems which is decorated with green moss and spider silk. The nest is between 3-5 cm on the inside. Breeds in December. Nest with 1 chick found.
Vocalisation
Flock call a repeated wheezy "tyew" and a rolling "chip" series. Call similar to House Sparrow.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Wikipedia
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2015)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Capped White-eye. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 July 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Capped_White-eye
