- Zosterops xanthochroa
Identification
11½–12½ cm (4½-5 in)
- Broad white eye-ring, broken at front by loral line
- Dull olive upperparts
- Greenish-yellow throat
- Pale grey flanks
- Yellowish vent
- Short dark bill and blue-grey legs.
Similar Species
Differs from Silvereye by greenish underparts, green mantle, paler greener lores and smaller size. From other small birds by broad white eye-ring.
Distribution
Mountains of New Caledonia, Ile des Pins and Maré Island.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Primary forest. Less common in glades and native gardens.
Behaviour
Actions
Pairs and small flocks move rapidly through canopy.
Diet
Their diet consists mainly of insects, fruit and berries, especially those of introduced Lantana.
Breeding
The nest is a beautiful structure of soft rootlets, hair, feathers, and cobwebs in the fork of a branch of a tree or shrub. Clutch is two to four turquoise eggs.
Vocalisation
The song is a rapid jumbled warble of short whistles and warbles. The call a thin repeated see.
Movements
Unknown
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- van Balen, B. (2019). Green-backed White-eye (Zosterops xanthochroa). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/60212 on 7 December 2019).
- Dutson, G. (2011) Birds of Melanesia, Christopher Helm, London.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Green-backed White-eye. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 July 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Green-backed_White-eye
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
