A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Zosterops lateralis
Silvereyes are omnivorous but have a particular fondness for fruit. Some orchardists, grape growers, and home gardeners regard them as a serious pest particularly as, being so small, they simply ignore bird nets, popping in and out through the netting at will.
Found in busy woodlands in back garden
Found a few of these really tiny birds yesterday in my friends back garden.
I should have noticed earlier when I saw the tinge of orange on the flanks. These birds have variable plumages depending on which part of Australia you see them in but on north-west coasts they are replaced by white-eyes. As you go further west the Silvereye turns yellower and loses the grey mantle while further east and across to New Zealand the grey becomes much darker.
Malcolm you are spot on, Thank you very much for your help with the help ID, much appreciated :)
Sorry Sean, should have checked the location, in Australia it is called Silvereye, I will change my ID.
it sort of had a yellow green head as you can see in the picture, I think you are spot on with the ID but the web says these birds are only native to Asia? Have they been introduced to Australia? Appreciate the help Malcolm
Sean, I'm fairly certain about the ID, I think I can just see the tinge of yellow behind a branch. Can you confirm please, the Oriental has a thin yellow line in the centre of the breast, the Japanese does not.
Spotted on Feb 5, 2012
Submitted on Feb 5, 2012
+2
