Seychelles White-eye
Zosterops modestus
A small, sharp-billed warbler-like bird. Very dull olive-brown in coloration, with conspicuous white “spectacles.” Found locally in forest, woodland, and gardens on some of the granitic Seychelles islands. Usually found in hyperactive flocks. Vaguely similar to Seychelles Warbler, but smaller, shorter-tailed, and darker below, with bold white spectacles. Most common call is a “tew” note given singly or in a series. The song is a complex, varied sequence of high-pitched notes.
Identification
This ten-to-eleven-centimetre (3.9 to 4.3 in) long bird has a plumage of olive-grey upper-parts and dull-coloured underparts. It is further characterized by a narrow, white eye-ring, a rather long dark-grey tail and a small sharp bill. Its diet consists of insect larvae, locusts, and grasshoppers as well as berries and seeds. The Seychelles white-eye's breeding season is from September to April, in which a clutch of two to seven eggs is laid into a cup-shaped nest. The incubation time is thirteen to fifteen days and the young are fully fledged after eleven to sixteen days. After that, adults look after their young for another two months. The species' melodious and complex song consists of nasal tones. Due to its ecology and foraging habits (in the canopy of high trees) it is difficult to observe.<p>The existence of an amazingly complex cooperative breeding system was discovered among Seychelles white-eyes. It is apparently unique among all species of white-eyes and appears as a very peculiar social breeding organisation among birds in general. Within the same breeding territory, the individual composition of nesting groups constantly changes, often involving birds that sometimes also contribute to nests in other territories.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Zosterops modestus
- Authority
- Newton, E, 1867
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Zosteropidae
- Genus
- Zosterops
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Swamp Francolin
Ortygornis gularis
Brown francolin with an orange throat and white-striped underparts. Shows rufous outer tail feathers and primaries in flight. Favors wet, marshy habitats such as flooded fields, wetland edges, and paddyfield plantations. Often difficult to see in tall vegetation, but emerges into the open in the early morning and late evening, usually foraging in small flocks. Gives loud gull-like “kree-ree!”, often in chorus.
Indigo Flowerpiercer
Diglossa indigotica
Small flowerpiercer with restricted range in western Colombia and northwest Ecuador. Entirely ultramarine blue, though can appear dark in poor light. Most distinctive feature is its piercing red eye. Also note the typical flowerpiercer bill: uniquely upswept with a hooked tip. Found in the subtropical zone of the Andes, where singles or pairs forage at all levels of forest and edge, often following mixed-species flocks.
Common Newtonia
Newtonia brunneicauda
Energetic and pugnacious little plain-brown vanga. The eye is white, and the center of the chest usually orange. Madagascar endemic that is found in all types of forest. Constantly on the move through the mid-story, usually in pairs. Often joins flocks with vangas and other mid-sized birds. Song is an explosive, rollicking series of two-parted notes: “chi-pu, chi-pu, chi-pu….” Pale eye and paler overall coloration separate it from Dark Newtonia. Pale eye also separates Common Newtonia from the rare Red-tailed Newtonia. Similar to Archbold’s Newtonia, but without rufous around the eye.
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