Chestnut-flanked White-eye

Zosterops erythropleurus Swinhoe, 1863

10 cmLength11 gWeight

It has a single conspicuous chestnut patch on each flank and a body length of about 10.5 cm.

Busiest months: December–February · Most records: Thailand, China, South Korea

Looks like Warbling White-eye

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Conspicuous chestnut patches on the flanks
Base of the bill and lower mandible may be pinkish
Lower belly whiter
Body length about 10.5 cm

Similar species

Warbling White-eye

Similar in appearance, but Warbling White-eye has pale brown flanks, while this species has chestnut patches on the flanks.

Where and when it's recorded

Chestnut-flanked White-eye has been recorded at 419 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Doi Inthanon NPThailand441 records
Doi Inthanon NP – summitThailand374 records
Doi Pha Hom Pok NP – Doi Lang (W), AKA Doi San JuThailand304 records

More places

Doi Pha Hom Pok NP – Doi Angkhang Royal Agricultural StationThailand261 records
Doi Pha Hom Pok NP – Doi AngkhangThailand259 records
Khao Yai NPThailand233 records
Happy IslandChina172 records
Pak Sha OHong Kong (China)145 records
Doi Inthanon NP – Mae Ouam (Km 34.5)Thailand139 records
Taksin Maharat NP – headquarters vicinityThailand139 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Thailand China South Korea Myanmar (Burma)Russia Japan Laos Cambodia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The chestnut-flanked white-eye (Zosterops erythropleurus) is a bird in the family Zosteropidae. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1863. It is found in forests, and prefers rather deep mixed and coniferous forests.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Chestnut-flanked White-eye?

The Chestnut-flanked White-eye is about 10 cm long and weighs around 11 g.

Where does the Chestnut-flanked White-eye live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: eastern, also Southeast Asia. It is most often recorded in Thailand, China and South Korea.

When is the best time to see the Chestnut-flanked White-eye?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Chestnut-flanked White-eye endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Chestnut-flanked White-eye as Least Concern.

What does the Chestnut-flanked White-eye eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Chestnut-flanked White-eye in?

It belongs to the family White-eyes (Zosteropidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: 10 cm
Weight: 11 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 61 mm
Tail: 42 mm
Bill: 14 mm
Tarsus: 15 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: eastern, also Southeast Asia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order: Passerines Passeriformes
Family: White-eyes Zosteropidae
Genus: Zosterops

Other birds in the genus Zosterops

Sri Lanka White-eyeZosterops ceylonensis

Yellowish White-eyeZosterops nigrorum

Black-capped White-eyeZosterops atricapilla

Abyssinian White-eyeZosterops abyssinicus

Pale White-eyeZosterops flavilateralis

Mbulu White-eyeZosterops mbuluensis

Swinhoe's White-eyeZosterops simplex

Mountain BlackeyeZosterops emiliae

Warbling White-eyeZosterops japonicus

Indian White-eyeZosterops palpebrosus

Lowland White-eyeZosterops meyeni

Karthala White-eyeZosterops mouroniensis

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Charles Lam. ↗

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