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SPECIES GUIDE >> ORIENTAL WHITE EYE

Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpehrosus

Clement Francis M

Introduction - White-eyes

A complete package of restlessness is what this small passerine is all about. They are one of the most commonly seen birds when we visit any hillstations, gardens and groves. They come in greenish olive with white and bright yellow throat, breast and lower parts. Some individual have buff flanks as well. There wings are more rounded and have strong legs to do all kinds of acrobatic maneuvers in trees, bushes & scrubs. White-eyes are native to Africa, Southern Asia and the Australasia regions of the world. There are around 80-85 species of white-eyes throughout this region and many are endemic to certain islands. In the Indian sub-continent we have only 2 species of the white-eye – The Oriental White-eye and The Srilankan endemic Srilanka White-eye. The genus Apalopteron formerly treated in Meliphagidae has been transferred to Zosteropidae on genetic evidence collected and researched.

Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpehrosus copyright Nikhil Devasar; Rannikhet, Uttarchal; April 2006

Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpehrosus copyright Clement Francis M; 2006

Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpehrosus copyright Clement Francis M; 2006

Habits and behavior :
White-eyes are very sociable birds, always calling and moving about. Some times they form large flocks and most times form smaller flocks and move about in trees always on the look out for grubs and fruits. They have high metabolic rate and feed all the time. Their small body size and an active lifestyle burns tremendous amount of energy hence they have to feed constantly. Only during the breeding season pairs form and they seclude themselves from the group until the young ones fledge out. They are always part of the mixed hunting groups of birds in the Indian jungles. They are some times seen active even during the night.

Oriental White-eye Feeding on Aphids (small insects) Zosterops palpehrosus copyright Clement Francis M; 2006

Nesting and breeding :
After pairing they build a deep cup-shaped nest in tree forks and in short bushes. The nesting material comprises of moss, cobwebs, cotton and other soft material. The female deposits 2-4 pale blue eggs. The egg shell is spotless. Incubation period is around 10-12 days and one of the shortest known incubation period for any bird species. The young are fed by both the parents with insects and fruit pulp. They make very good parents and I have seen them chasing away Ashy prinias, flowerpeckers and sunbirds from the vicinity of their nest. Once the young leave the nest and start to move about the nesting area, the parents constantly keep a watch on them and feed them at regular intervals. This period is the most dangerous period of their lives as they are preyed on by birds of prey, rodents and can even fall prey to big spiders. Once the young develop their flight feathers they start feeding on their own and even during this period the parents feed them at regular intervals.

Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpehrosus copyright Nikhil Devasar; May 2006; Kangra

White-eye and Humans:
Being a very common garden bird both in the hills and in plains there are many positives and negatives about the white-eye-human relationship. The farmers who grow fruits in particular hate this bird as they cause lot of damage during the fruiting season by puncturing the fruits where by the fruits decay and other insects invade the fruiting plants. Hence they are considered as pests. In other cases humans themselves have introduced these birds to many islands and plantation areas as a natural pest control agent. Hence it's a love-hate relationship with humans.

Typical White-eye Habitat copyright Clement Francis M

Oriental White-eye (Feeding on Lantana fruits) Zosterops palpehrosus
copyright Clement Francis M; 2006

Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpehrosus copyright Sachin Rai;
3 June, 2005, Sitamata Sanctuary, Rajasthan

Conclusion :
White eyes are in considerable populations in our country and being a very adaptive bird they have thrived well in all their existing habitats. Even habitat destruction where forest have been cleared for plantations and farming have not stopped this passerine from adapting well to new surroundings and going about their usual way of living. We cannot imagine a stroll in any park or garden in a hill station without hearing the call of the white-eye. Let the call of this tiny acrobatic be always heard.

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