Grey-throated White-eye

Alternative names: Variable White-eye; Solomon Grey-throated White-eye

Zosterops ugiensis

Identification

12.5cm.

• Dark olive or brownish-olive above
• Dark brown washed face and forehead
• Blackish-brown primaries and tail with dark olive outer margins
• Dirty white breast and throat, greyish at sides
• Almost pure white undertail-coverts and abdomen
• Pale to dark orange-brown eye
• Blackish bill with whitish base of lower mandible
• Pale leaden grey legs
• hamlini with narrow white eyering, sooty brown face and forehead, greenish-olive upper throat and yellow undertail-coverts
• oblitus with olive-green face and forehead, more greyish breast and pale yellow undertail-coverts

Sexes similar, juveniles undescribed

Distribution

Found on the Solomon Islands.
A restricted-range species but common to abundant in its range.

Taxonomy

Three subspecies accepted:

• Z. u. halmini on Bougainville Island
• Z. u. oblitus on Guadalcanal
• Z. u. ugiensis on San Cristobal

There is some confusion with the scientific name of this species. The Handbook of the Birds of the World uses Zosterops rendovae, a name which Clements uses for Solomon White-eye (Zosterops kulambangrae).

Habitat

Found in forests, mainly at forest edge and in secondary forest. Mostly in hills and mountains, rarely in lowlands. Occurs from 900 - 1950m on Bougainville, replacing Yellow-throated White-eye at this elevations.

Behaviour

Feeds on soft seedy fruit, small seeds and occasionally on insects.
Often seen in flocks of 6 to 12 birds, sometimes together with Yellow-throated White-eye.
Breeding season unclear. Juveniles were seen in Apirl, birds with enlarged gonads in July and August.
No information about movements.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2008. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553453
3. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2010. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.7). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Grey-throated White-eye. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Grey-throated_White-eye

External Links

Search for photos of Grey-throated White-eye in the gallery