Réunion grey white-eye
| Réunion grey white-eye | |
|---|---|
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| Réunion grey white-eye | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Zosteropidae |
| Genus: | Zosterops |
| Species: | Z. borbonicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Zosterops borbonicus JR Forster, 1781 | |
The Réunion grey white-eye (Zosterops borbonicus) is a small passerine from the family Zosteropidae, which is native to the islands of Réunion.
Taxonomy
The taxon mauritianus, by most authorities previously considered a subspecies, is now usually considered a separate monotypic species, the Mauritius grey white-eye, (Zosterops mauritianus). Together, both species were called Mascarene white-eye.
There is some uncertainty about the number of subspecies on Réunion, with most authorities only accepting a single, the nominate (Z. b. borbonicus), while some also accept Z. b. alopekion, and Z. b. xerophilus. When only a single Réunion subspecies is accepted, alopekion and xerophilus are considered to represent morphs of the nominate.
Description
It has a length of 9.5 cm. Its plumage exhibits a colour morph which varies from gray to brown. The rump is coloured conspicuous white, the rest of the body is blue grey. The legs are nearly blackish. There is also a conspicuous ring of white feathers around the chestnut coloured eyes.
Biology
It inhabits woodlands, forests, and gardens. It is the only endemic bird from Réunion which has adapted to man-made conditions. Its diet consists of insects, fruits and nectar. It is also the pollinator for orchids like Angraecum striatum or the endemic Trochetia species. It moves often in small groups from six to twenty birds in search of food. They are very noisy. The breeding period is in the southern summer. The female lays two to four pale blue eggs in a cup-shaped nest which is padded with plant material.
References
- France Staub: Birds of the Mascarenes and Saint Brandon. LABAMA HOUSE, Port Louis, Mauritius, 1976.
- France Staub: Fauna of Mauritius and associated flora. Précigraph Limited, Port Louis, Mauritius, 1993.
- Otto Finsch: Zosteropidae (Volume 15), 1901.
- del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Christie D. (editors). (2008). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-96553-45-3
- Claire Micheneau, Jacques Fournel & Thierry Pailler: Bird Pollination in an Angraecoid Orchid on Reunion Island (Mascarene Archipelago, Indian Ocean). Annals of Botany 97: S. 965–974, 2006 doi:10.1093/aob/mcl056 PDF fulltext
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zosterops borbonicus. |
- Encyclopedia Mauritiana - Grey White-eye
- Mascarene White-eye video on the Internet Bird Collection