Mauritius Gray White-eye
Zosterops mauritianus
An unusual white-eye that lacks white around the eye, but has a puffy white rump patch. Mostly pale gray with a white throat and buff flanks. Found in virtually all habitats with woody vegetation on the island of Mauritius. A conspicuous, sociable bird that is usually found in flocks. Vaguely similar to the rare Mauritius White-eye, but easily separated by the lack of a white eye-ring and the lack of olive-green in the plumage. The song is a repetitive series of warbling notes, typical of a white-eye. The calls are “tew” notes and squeals.
Identification
An unusual white-eye that lacks white around the eye, but has a puffy white rump patch. Mostly pale gray with a white throat and buff flanks. Found in virtually all habitats with woody vegetation on the island of Mauritius. A conspicuous, sociable bird that is usually found in flocks. Vaguely similar to the rare Mauritius White-eye, but easily separated by the lack of a white eye-ring and the lack of olive-green in the plumage. The song is a repetitive series of warbling notes, typical of a white-eye. The calls are “tew” notes and squeals.
Taxonomy
The Mauritius grey white-eye was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the wagtails in the genus Motacilla and coined the binomial name Motacilla mauritiana. Gmelin based his account on the "Figuier bleu" that had been described in 1778 by the French polymath, the Comte de Buffon, in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. A hand-coloured engraving by François-Nicolas Martinet was published to accompany Buffon's text. The Mauritius grey white-eye is now placed with around one hundred white-eyes in the genus Zosterops that was introduced in 1827 by Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield.
- Scientific name
- Zosterops mauritianus
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Zosteropidae
- Genus
- Zosterops
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Spot-breasted Cuckoo-Dove
Macropygia mackinlayi
A small-bodied, mostly brown dove with a long, uniformly brown tail. Found in almost every forested habitat including regrowth around villages and mangroves. Darker wings contrast with a lighter tan-colored body and head. Uniform brown tail separates it from the similar Black-billed Cuckoo-Dove, which has a heavily barred tail and rump. MacKinlay’s is separated from Slender-billed Cuckoo-Dove in its much darker head and paler undertail, especially in flight. Frequently heard calling, giving its typical namesake “coo-koo, coo-koo” call, sometimes likened to “let’s go, let’s go.”
Mexican Duck
Anas diazi
Both sexes look like a dark-colored female Mallard. Bill of male is dull yellowish; bill of female is mottled orange and black, like a typical Mallard. In flight, bright white underwings contrast with dark body. Note distinct white stripe in front of iridescent panel on upperwing, compare to Mottled Duck (limited range overlap). Usually in pairs or small flocks; wary in most areas, but in some city parks and urban settings has become fairly tame. In some areas of sw. US, hybridizes with Mallard, producing birds with variably intermediate features.
Sinaloa Martin
Progne sinaloae
Large swallow; very local summer resident in mountains of northwest Mexico. Favors open pine-oak forest, usually with big dead pine snags and cliffs, where nests in cavities. Ranges widely in highlands and foothills, coming to drink at ponds and lakes. Usually seen as singles or small groups, which may associate with other swallows. Male blue-black overall with contrasting white belly. Female similar to several other martins, but clean white belly contrasts more strongly with dark breast.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.