Southern Yellow or Pale White-eye? - Near Arusha, Tanzania (1 Viewer)

[HaydenB]

These were near Arusha NP on August 16th. A small group was seen in the canopy of medium-elevation (maybe 1500m?) forest.


Thank you,
Hayden

 

[MacNara]

Hi Hayden,

Welcome to Bird Forum.

In recent years a lot of genetic studies (and voice studies) have been done on White-eyes around the world, and as a result the White-eyes have been split into a large number of species (not just sub-species). Southern Yellow White-eye (Zosterops anderssoni) was formerly a southern African sub-species of African White-eye (Zosterops senegalensis) which latter has kept the binomial but been renamed Northern Yellow White-eye. Pale White-eye (Zosterops flavilateralis) has been re-named Kenyan White-eye according to 'Birds of East Africa'. However, these various re-namings have not spread everywhere yet.

Anyway, I think your choice in Arusha is between the renamed Kenyan / Pale and Northern Yellow / African.

The bad news is that I have no idea myself how to tell these apart.

The good news is that Brian Small who did half of the illustrations in 'Birds of East Africa' comes to this forum regularly, and with luck he will see this thread and comment. Although I think the White-eye illustrations in this book were actually done by his colleague John Gale.

Of course someone else who has experience of these birds may answer first.

Anyway just hold on for a while and I'm sure you'll get an informed reply.

 

[Brian J Small]

I just don't think these images are helpful for ID.

The one showing a hint of strong yellow on hindneck and mantle suggests Southern Yellow, as mantle of Pale generally has a greenish hue, however we can't see other features such as primary projection, etc.

[A warning, don't trust some of the images posted on eBird as either species...]

Brian

 

[MacNara]

The one showing a hint of strong yellow on hindneck and mantle suggests Southern Yellow, as mantle of Pale generally has a greenish hue, however we can't see other features such as primary projection, etc.

Thank you for replying Brian. You mention 'Southern Yellow' but I thought that in Arusha it would be 'Northern Yellow'?

 

[Andy Adcock]

Brian,
any advances in ID since I posted this thread, four years ago?

Heuglin's / Montane White-eye?

We photographed this bird at Nyungwe in Rwanda. All opinons welcome. Photo copyright of Dr Mike Wheeler Edit: Does Green White-eye Z. stulmanni have such a broad eye ring or could this be senegalensis?

www.birdforum.net

Sorry for hijacking the thread!

 

[Brian J Small]

Thank you for replying Brian. You mention 'Southern Yellow' but I thought that in Arusha it would be 'Northern Yellow'?

Slip of the pen, sorry

B

 

[HaydenB]

I found this picture as well; this might be a better view for those couple features. With the quick views I had I figured that I would end up leaving them as unknown white-eye sp. anyways.

Thanks for all the information,
Hayden

 

[SteveClark]

Around Arusha you have Pale White-eye (Zosterops flavilateralis flavilateralis) and occasionally Broad-ringed White-eye (Z. eurycricotus). See attachments: Scopes paper and Tanzanian Atlas map by Neil Baker.