Peter Kovalik
Well-known member
(revised)
Kirwan (2007) argues that the white-breasted subspecies of Abyssinian White-eye ((Z. abyssinicus) are closely related. These include socotranus, arabs, and omoensis. Based on Cox et al. (2014), who included socotranus, and the yellow-breasted flavilateralis and jubaensis, the Abyssinian White-eye is two species: the white-breasted Abyssinian White-eye and the yellow-breasted Kenya White-eye (Z. flavilateralis) including jubaensis. These were already recognized on the TiF list, but the subspecies allocation was unclear. I've split Kivu White-eye (Z. reichenowi) from African Yellow White-eye (Zosterops senegalensis) and changed the English name of Zosterops stierlingi to Southern Yellow White-eye to reflect hypothesized species limits, which rather speculatively include the senegalensis races kasaicus, heinrichi, quanzae, anderssoni, and tongensis. This means that the African Yellow White-eye, Zosterops senegalensis, is assumed to include demeryi, gerhardi, toroensis, stuhlmanni. Cox et al. found that jacksoni groups with senegalensis. Finally, The Montane White-eye, Zosterops poliogastrus is assumed to include kaffensis and kulalensis (although I have doubts about the latter). I take no position on eurycricotus.
This has been revised as comments on BirdForum brought Kirwan (2007) to my attention.