- Zosterops japonicus
Includes Japanese White-eye (partly) and Mountain White-eye
Identification
10–12 cm; relatively small songbirds
They have a slightly curved black bill extending from their yellow forehead. Silky white eye-rings, not always present in juveniles. Back color ranges from olive to dusky green, with blackish brown outlined in green covering the uppertail and the flight feathers. The underside of the tail and chin are yellow. Throat is mostly yellow. The underparts are pale grey with flanks more brownish-buff, sometimes spreading to entire underparts. Legs and feet are black.
Distribution
Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Presumably during migration or winter, it has been recorded in China and Taiwan.
Introduced to Hawaii and the most numerous bird in the main Hawaiian islands. Introduced birds are also found in Singapore.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 15 subspecies[1]:
- Z. j. japonicus: Southern Sakhalin Island through Japan and southern Korea; partially migratory, withdrawing from Sakhalin Island and northern Japan in the nonbreeding season. Additinally, introduced in Hawaii and Singapore
- Z. j. stejnegeri : Izu Island (southern Japan); introduced to Bonin Island
- Z. j. insularis: Ryukyu Island (Tanegashima and Yakushima)
- Z. j. loochooensis: Iriomote (Ryukyu Island)
- Z. j. alani: Volcano Island (Iwo Jima and Minami-iwo-Jima)
- Z. j. daitoensis: Daito Island (Philippine Sea)
- Z. j. obstinatus: Moluccas (Ternate, Bacan and Seram)
- Z. j. montanus: central Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, Sula Is., Buru, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Timor
- Z. j. difficilis: southern Sumatra
- Z. j. parkesi: southwestern Philippines (Palawan)
- Z. j. whiteheadi: northern Philippines (northern Luzon)
- Z. j. diuatae: southern Philippines (northern Mindanao)
- Z. j. vulcani: southern Philippines (Mt. Apo and Mt. Katanglad on Mindanao)
- Z. j. pectoralis: Philippines (northern Negros)
- Z. j. halconensis: Philippines (Mindoro)
This species was brought together by taking 6 subspecies from the former Japanese White-eye and all of the subspecies from the former Mountain White-eye. A few other subspecies from Japanese White-eye were placed in Swinhoe's White-eye.
Habitat
Deciduous and mixed forests, thickets and open woodland.
Introduced to Hawaii in 1927, this beautiful green bird can be found all over the Hawaiian islands, from the wettest forest to the driest deserts.
Behaviour
Extremely energetic birds that are always on the move.
Diet
They eat insects, nectar and fruit.
Breeding
Extremely territorial when nesting. Nest can be at any height in any tree. Breeding season varies with location.
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 Riper, S. G. and B. van Balen (2020). Warbling White-eye (Zosterops japonicus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.warwhe1.01
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Warbling White-eye. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Warbling_White-eye
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
