Small Lifou White-eye

Zosterops minutus

A classic small yellowish white-eye with a bold white eyering and whitish flanks. The “boring” white-eye on Lifou. Found throughout the island. No similar species on Lifou; the local race of Silvereye notably more boldly patterned, with gray back and underparts and black in the face. Has a variety of vocalizations, all “typical” sounding for a white-eye, including a short pleasant warbled song.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Zosterops minutus
Authority
Layard, EL, 1878
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Zosteropidae
Genus
Zosterops

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
unknown

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

Other Birds

Serra Antwren

Serra Antwren

Formicivora serrana

Small, strikingly-plumaged antbird with a long tail and a very restricted range. Inhabits the understory of low stature or regenerating forests, forest edges, scrub, and abandoned plantations where it is very active and occasionally joins mixed-species flocks. Much plumage variation, with coastal males near Rio de Janeiro (formerly split as Restinga Antwren) being almost uniformly sooty-black with only slightly grayer back and spotted white wingbars. Two more northerly subspecies vary between rufous-brown and dark gray above, but both are black below with a bold white eyebrow and white wing spots. In all subspecies, females are pale whitish below and brown above with a bold white eyebrow. Male song is a monotonous series of harsh chip notes; female gives nasal squeaks.

Soft-plumaged Petrel

Soft-plumaged Petrel

Pterodroma mollis

Attractive petrel with a black mask, largely gray above and white below, with a diagnostic dark breast band. Note the heavy dark bill. In flight, exhibits gray underwings and gray and dark brown M-pattern on the back. The rare dark morph has dark underparts, but still retains the distinctive complete breast band, which is the most useful mark separating this species from Fea’s and Zino’s Petrels.  Usually encountered well offshore, in towering roller-coaster flights; sometimes follows boats.

West Solomons Owl

West Solomons Owl

Athene jacquinoti

A rather small orange-eyed owl with lightly spotted brown upperparts and paler underparts. Prefers well-developed forest, mainly in lowlands, but up to 1500 meters of elevation. Unlikely to overlap in range with any similar species. Vocal range poorly known, but a series of monotone “poop” or “chong” notes is regularly reported. Found from Bougainville, Buka, and Choiseul in the north to Florida Island in the south. Formerly lumped with Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Makira Owls under the name “Solomons Boobook.”

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Small Lifou White-eye | BirdLens