Zosterops explorator
The Fiji White-eye (Zosterops explorator) is a charming and endemic passerine, captivating birders with its vibrant olive-green plumage and distinctive ocular adornment. Measuring approximately 11.5-12.5 cm in length and weighing around 9-11 grams, this diminutive bird presents a rich olive-green back and crown, transitioning to a bright yellow throat and vent, contrasted by a whitish belly and greyish flanks. Its most striking field mark, and the origin of its common name, is a prominent, un...
This species primarily inhabits native broadleaf forests, secondary growth, and disturbed woodlands across a wide elevation range, from coastal lowlands up to montane cloud forests.
Their diet is omnivorous, consisting primarily of insects and other small invertebrates, supplemented heavily by nectar from flowering plants and small, soft fruits.
Fiji White-eyes are diurnal, active foragers, often seen flitting restlessly through the canopy and sub-canopy. They employ a mixed foraging strategy, gleaning insects and spiders from foliage, probing flowers for nectar with their brush-tipped tongues, and pecking at small fruits. While breeding...
The Fiji White-eye is strictly endemic to the island nation of Fiji, with its entire known distribution confined to the main island of Viti Levu. It can be found across the island from the coastal lowlands, where it inhabits forest fragments and disturbed areas, up to the pristine montane cloud f...
Least Concern
- The Fiji White-eye is one of Fiji's endemic bird species, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world. - It belongs to the Zosteropidae family, which is one of the most speciose bird families on oceanic islands. - Its scientific name 'explorator' likely refers to its constant, restless foragi...