Alternative names: Madagascar White-eye; Madagascan White-eye
- Zosterops maderaspatanus
Includes: Moheli White-eye; Anjouan White-eye
Identification
10–12 cm (4-4¾ in)
- Greenish upperparts
- Yellow forecrown and forehead
- White underparts
Distribution
Madagascar, the Comoro Islands and the Seychelles
Taxonomy
Kirk's White-eye and Aldabra White-eye were formerly included in this species.
Subspecies
Five subspecies recognized, sometimes split in three species:
- Moheli White-eye:
- Z. m. comorensis on Mohéli (Comoro Islands)
- Madagascar White-eye:
- Z. m. menaiensis on Cosmoledo Atoll (Seychelles)
- Z. m. maderaspatanus on Madagascar and Isles Glorieuses
- Z. m. voeltzkowi on Europa Island
- Anjouan White-eye:
- Z. m. anjuanensis on Anjouan (Comoro Islands)
Habitat
A wide variety of woodland.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists almost entirely of insects, especially beetles, caterpillars, bugs, ants and flies.
Breeding
The nest is a deep cup formed from Casuarina needles.
Gallery
Click on photo for larger image
Photo by James J Williams
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2014. IOC World Bird Names (version 4.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Malagasy White-eye. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Malagasy_White-eye
