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Zosterops borbonicus

The Mascarene White-eye (Zosterops borbonicus) also known as Grey White-eye is a small passerine from the family Zosteropidae.

It has a length of 9.5 cm. Its plumage exhibits a colour morph which varies from gray to brown. The rump is coloured conspicious white, the rest of the body is blue grey. The legs are nearly blackish. There is also a conspicious ring of white feathers around the chestnut coloured eyes. Four subspecies are known. Zosterops b. borbonicus, Zosterops b. alopekion, and Zosterops b. xerophilus occur on Réunion. Zosterops b. mauritiana is endemic to Mauritius. Here they share their habitat with the Mauritius Olive White-eye (Zosterops chloronotus). It inhabits woodlands, forests, and gardens. So it is the only endemic bird from Réunion and Mauritius which adapted itself to man-made conditions. Its diet consists of insects, fruits and nectar. It is also the pollinator for orchids like Angraecum striatum or the endemic Trochetia species. It moves often in small groups from six to twenty birds in search of food. They are very noisy. The breeding period is in the southern summer. The female lays two to four pale blue eggs in a cup-shaped nest which is padded with plant material.

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