Warbling White-eye

Zosterops japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1847

≈12 cmLength11 gWeight

It is a small bird that often occurs in flocks, with a white eye-ring, olive back and yellow throat.

Busiest months: April and October–December · Most records: China, Japan, United States

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

A white eye-ring around the eye
Yellow throat; green forehead
Olive back; pale green underparts
Fine bill; bill, legs and feet black to brown

Where and when it's recorded

Warbling White-eye has been recorded at 1,496 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 13 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Taipei – Taipei Botanical GardenTaiwan (China)5,423 records
Taipei – National Taiwan University Main CampusTaiwan (China)4,903 records
Nantou – Jiji Endemic Species Research InstituteTaiwan (China)4,587 records

More places

Yeliu IBATaiwan (China)4,246 records
Huntington Central Park – EastUnited States4,151 records
IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, IrvineUnited States3,865 records
Taipei – Tianliaoyang WetlandTaiwan (China)3,368 records
Taipei – Da'an Forest ParkTaiwan (China)3,340 records
Chiayi – NCYU Lantan CampusTaiwan (China)2,833 records
Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)2,827 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China Japan United States Singapore Thailand South Korea Philippines Malaysia

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 warbling white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. The specific epithet is occasionally written japonica, but this is incorrect due to the gender of the genus. Its native range includes much of East Asia, including the Russian Far East, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, and the Philippines.

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

Questions

How big is the Warbling White-eye?

The Warbling White-eye is about ≈12 cm long and weighs around 11 g.

Where does the Warbling White-eye live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic, Oriental, Australasia: widespread East Asia, Japan to Greater Sundas (except Borneo), Sulawesi region, Moluccas, Lesser Sundas and Philippines (except Sulu Archipelago). It is most often recorded in China, Japan and United States.

When is the best time to see the Warbling White-eye?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April, October, November and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Warbling White-eye endangered?

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

What does the Warbling White-eye eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Warbling White-eye in?

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

At a glance

Length: ≈12 cm
Weight: 11 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 57 mm
Tail: 42 mm
Bill: 13 mm
Tarsus: 17 mm

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

Range

Palearctic, Oriental, Australasia: widespread East Asia, Japan to Greater Sundas (except Borneo), Sulawesi region, Moluccas, Lesser Sundas and Philippines (except Sulu Archipelago)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2