Zosterops simplex
The Swinhoe's White-eye (Zosterops simplex) is a diminutive and highly agile passerine bird, instantly recognizable by its prominent, pure white eye-ring contrasting with its olive-green upperparts and yellowish-white underparts, often with a yellow wash on the throat and vent. Measuring a mere 10-12 cm in length and weighing just 8-12 grams, this small bird possesses a slender, slightly downcurved bill. Its distinctive eye-ring is a key field mark, setting it apart from other small green bir...
This adaptable species thrives in a wide array of habitats, including woodlands, scrublands, gardens, plantations, and urban parks, often preferring areas with dense foliage and access to flowering plants. It can be found from sea level up to moderate montane elevations.
Their diet is omnivorous and highly opportunistic, consisting primarily of small insects (such as caterpillars, aphids, and small beetles), nectar from a variety of flowering plants, and small soft fruits and berries. They primarily forage by gleaning insects from foliage and probing flowers for ...
Swinhoe's White-eyes are highly diurnal and gregarious, often observed foraging in active, mixed-species flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes numbering in the dozens. They roost communally in dense thickets or trees, offering safety in numbers. Foraging involves acrobatic gleaning of ins...
The Swinhoe's White-eye has a wide and often fragmented native breeding range extending across much of southeastern China, including the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, and Zhejiang. It is also a widespread resident throughout Taiwan and Hainan Island. Its distribution further ext...
Least Concern
- The Swinhoe's White-eye was only recently recognized as a distinct species from the Japanese White-eye (Z. japonicus) in 2018, based on significant genetic and vocal differences. - It is one of the few avian species native to Asia that has successfully established a wild population in North Ame...