Bridled White-eye
Zosterops conspicillatus
A small bird, olive-green above and buffy-peach below. Has a black edge to the wing, a thin dark stripe at the base of the bill, a bold white eye-ring, and a dark thin bill. Pale eyebrow extends above and in front of the eye. Birds on Guam have a much grayer head and are more golden below. Occurs in most habitats. Voice consists mostly of high-pitched chirping.
Taxonomy
Some sources, such as the IUCN, split the nominate subspecies and Z. c. saypani into separate species; in that case, the latter is known by the common name Saipan white-eye. Formerly, the Rota white-eye (Zosterops rotensis) was also considered as a subspecies of the bridled white-eye.
- Scientific name
- Zosterops conspicillatus
- Authority
- (Kittlitz, 1833)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Zosteropidae
- Genus
- Zosterops
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The nominate subspecies Zosterops conspicillatus conspicillatus, endemic to the island of Guam, became extinct due to the introduction of the brown tree snake. The last known sighting was in 1983. The US Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the species from the Endangered Species Act in October 2023 citing extinction.<p>The remaining subspecies, Z. conspicillatus saypani, endemic to the Northern Mariana Islands, on the islands of Tinian, Saipan and Aguijan, is separated as a full species by some authorities, in which case its common name is Saipan white-eye. This population is extremely abundant across its native range. 2007-2008 surveys estimated a population of 620,000-940,000, with approximately 534,000 birds on Saipan alone. In 2010, this species was the second most abundant breeding landbird encountered by surveyors on Saipan. As of 2022, the population was believed to not have changed significantly since earlier surveys and it was considered stable. In 2008, Z. c. saypani was also introduced to the uninhabited island of Sarigan as a precaution and by 2016 this new population had rapidly increased to more than 8,000 birds. The potential introduction of the brown tree snake on Saipan and U.S. military activity on Tinian could result in rapid population declines on these islands, but biosecurity measures to reduce this risk have so far been successful. If a brown treesnake still manages to enter the islands, a specially trained and equipped response team is deployed to eliminate it, reducing the risk of a new population becoming established. As a precautionary measure, the Saipan white-eye has been classified as near threatened. The Saipan white-eye has a captive breeding program based at several US zoos.
- Population trend
- 未指定
Photos
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