Vanuatu White-eye

Overview

The Vanuatu white-eye (Zosterops flavifrons) is a small passerine bird endemic to the archipelago of Vanuatu. As one of the most common birds in the region, it is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• 11–12 cm in overall length with a yellow forehead and a distinctive white ring around the eye.
• Adult males are yellow-green above and bright yellow or yellow-green below, while females and immatures are paler.
• Dark grey legs and feet with a bill that is brown above and pinkish below.
• Emits a short, high-pitched contact call and a repeated warbling song.

Habitat

This species is distributed across Vanuatu from the Banks Islands in the north to Aneityum in the south. It inhabits a wide variety of environments, including forests, plantations and gardens, ranging from sea level to mountainous areas.

Diet

The bird forages in bushes and trees, typically moving in pairs or small flocks. Its varied diet consists of insects, nectar and fruits such as lantana berries and wild figs.

Did you know?

The species was originally placed with flycatchers in the genus Muscicapa by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. Its current binomial name combines the Latin words for 'yellow' and 'forehead', referencing a water-colour drawing by Georg Forster from 1774 that serves as the holotype.