Vanuatu White-eyes or Yellow-fronted White-eyes

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The Vanuatu White-eyes or Yellow-fronted White-eye (Zosterops flavifrons) is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Zosterops in the white-eye family Zosteropidae.

Subspecies and Distribution

It is endemic to Vanuatu where it is one of the most common birds.

There are seven subspecies distributed almost throughout Vanuatu from the Banks Islands in the north to Aneityum in the south.

The species occurs in a variety of habitats including forests, plantations, and gardens from sea level to the mountains. It forages in bushes and trees, moving around in pairs or small flocks.

Description

It is 11–12 cm long.

The adult male is yellow-green above while the underparts are bright yellow or yellow-green depending on the subspecies. The forehead is yellow and there is a white ring around the eye. The legs and feet are dark grey and the bill is brown above and pinkish below.

Female and immature birds are similar to the male but paler. The immatures also have a narrower eye-ring.

Calls / Vocalizations

The contact call is short and high-pitched. The song is a repeated warbling.

Diet / Feeding

The varied diet includes insects, nectar, and fruit such as lantana berries and wild figs.

Breeding / Nesting

The neat, cup-shaped nest is built 2.5 meters or more above the ground and is made of grass, pieces of bark, and spider webs. The eggs are bluish-white and there are three in a clutch.

References

• Bregulla, Heinrich L. (1992) Birds of Vanuatu, Anthony Nelson, Oswestry, England.Doughty, Chris; Day, Nicolas and Plant, Andrew (1999) Birds of the Solomons, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, Christopher Helm, London.

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