Silvereye

Zosterops lateralis (Latham, 1801)

11–13 cmLength13 gWeight

The silvereye or wax-eye (Zosterops lateralis), also known by its Māori name tauhou, is a very small omnivorous passerine bird of the south-west Pacific.

Busiest months: January and October–November · Most records: Australia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Silvereye has been recorded at 361 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 8 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature ReserveAustralia6,442 records
Oxley Creek CommonAustralia4,558 records
Western Treatment PlantAustralia3,292 records

More places

Royal Botanic Gardens MelbourneAustralia2,765 records
Lake Samsonvale – Golds Scrub LaneAustralia2,670 records
Sandy Camp Road WetlandsAustralia2,539 records
Herdsman LakeAustralia2,387 records
Royal ParkAustralia2,205 records
Australian National Botanic GardensAustralia1,852 records
Banyule Flats ReserveAustralia1,744 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia New Zealand Norfolk Island Fiji French Polynesia New Caledonia Vanuatu United Kingdom

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 silvereye or wax-eye (Zosterops lateralis), also known by its Māori name tauhou, is a very small omnivorous passerine bird of the south-west Pacific. In Australia and New Zealand its common name is sometimes white-eye, but this name is more commonly used to refer to all members of the genus Zosterops, or the entire family Zosteropidae.

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

Questions

How big is the Silvereye?

The Silvereye is about 11–13 cm long and weighs around 13 g.

Where does the Silvereye live?

Its breeding range: Australasia, Pacific Ocean: Australia, New Zealand and outlying islands, New Caledonia and western Pacific islands to Fiji (southwestern Polynesia). It is most often recorded in Australia, New Zealand and Norfolk Island.