Cream-throated White-eye Zosterops atriceps Scientific name definitions

12 cm; 12 g. Nominate has entirely fuscous-black forehead, becoming more fuscous-olive green on the crown and fuscous gray on the nape; the supraloral region blackish, lores dusky gray, rather narrow to wide gray eyering interrupted at front by dusky spot, ear coverts light fuscous with citrine wash; upperparts olive green, remiges and rectrices blackish brown with greenish margins; whitish below , almost pure white on throat and center of belly, slightly grayer on the breast, and with lemon-yellow undertail coverts. The iris is light brown, the bill black, yellow basal half of lower mandible ; legs gray. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed.

Differs from Warbling White-eye (Zosterops japonicus) in white (not yellow) throat, among other traits.

Cream-throated White-eye is often treated as conspecific with Morotai White-eye (Zosterops dehaani), but is here split based on pronounced plumage and vocal differences (1 Eaton, J. A., B. van Balen, N. W. Brickle, and F. E. Rheindt (2016). Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close , 2 Rheindt, F. E., and J. A. Eaton (2018). Notes on the taxonomy of Cream-throated White-eye Zosterops atriceps and the biogeography of the Northern Moluccas. BirdingASIA 30:48-53 Close ). Within the group, Cream-throated White-eye differs from Morotai White-eye in its extensive green on the back and upperparts versus the mostly gray mantle in Morotai White-eye, with the green restricted to the wings, as well as in the extent of the eye-ring and spectacles, with Morotai White-eye having very bold white spectacles versus the dark lores and thinner eye-ring in Cream-throated White-eye. The song of the two taxa also differ, with the song of Morotai White-eye consisting of musical warblers that are "interspersed with characteristic, monotonous, high pitched series of twee-twee-twee or ti'ti'tit'twititwititwitititit" which lasts 2–4 s, compared to Cream-throated White-eye, whose song consists of undulating musical notes lasting 1–2 s (2 Rheindt, F. E., and J. A. Eaton (2018). Notes on the taxonomy of Cream-throated White-eye Zosterops atriceps and the biogeography of the Northern Moluccas. BirdingASIA 30:48-53 Close ). Rheindt and Eaton (2 Rheindt, F. E., and J. A. Eaton (2018). Notes on the taxonomy of Cream-throated White-eye Zosterops atriceps and the biogeography of the Northern Moluccas. BirdingASIA 30:48-53 Close ) also note ecological differences between the two, with Morotai White-eye occurring in montane and sub-montane habitats, while Cream-throated White-eye is more common in the lowlands.

In addition to recommending the recognition of Morotai White-eye, Rheindt and Eaton (2 Rheindt, F. E., and J. A. Eaton (2018). Notes on the taxonomy of Cream-throated White-eye Zosterops atriceps and the biogeography of the Northern Moluccas. BirdingASIA 30:48-53 Close ) also recommended that Cream-throated White-eye be further split into a total of three species, elevating the two described subspecies as well as the undescribed population from Obi to species status. In particular, the Obi population has a very distinct dawn song, which lasts 4–10 s and consists of a series of "sweet musical, predominantly down-slurred notes" compared to the short 1–2 s song of the other two taxa that consists of a series of undulating sweet musical notes (2 Rheindt, F. E., and J. A. Eaton (2018). Notes on the taxonomy of Cream-throated White-eye Zosterops atriceps and the biogeography of the Northern Moluccas. BirdingASIA 30:48-53 Close ). Further work is needed to better understand the taxonomy of the other populations of this group.

Neither Cream-throated White-eye nor Morotai White-eye (Zosterops dehaani) have been included in any molecular phylogenetic study, but it is presumed that they are closely related to each other. Sibley and Monroe (5 Sibley, C. G., and B. L. Monroe (1990). Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Close ) considered these taxa to form a superspecices with Zosterops atrifrons sensu lato, which now includes Black-crowned White-eye (Zosterops atrifrons), Sangihe White-eye (Zosterops nehrkorni), Black-headed White-eye (Zosterops hypoxanthus), and Black-fronted White-eye (Zosterops minor), among others (6 Dickinson, E. C., and L. Christidis, Editors (2014). The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Fourth Edition. Volume 2. Aves Press, Eastbourne, UK. Close ), but further research is needed to clarify the relationships among these species.

Halmahera, Bacan, and Obi, in the Maluku Islands (Moluccas).

Primary and secondary lowland forest and hill forest, forest edge,and cultivation; also mangroves (Halmahera). Sea-level to 1050 m on Halmahera, lowlands to 700 m on Bacan, and 220–700 m on Obi.

Not known.

Microhabitat for Foraging

Forages in thickets 1–2 m above ground; also in middle story, and canopy.

Major Food Items

No details of diet.

Vocal Array

Rather thin, high-pitched series 1.5 seconds in duration, of fairly sweet whistles , each note alternating rapidly up and down, each phrase ending with 1 or 2 upslurred, whistled disyllabic “tu-wit” notes; phrases repeated at intervals of 4–5 seconds. A slightly louder, harder version of song, lacking concluding disyllabic notes, on Halmahera (subspecies fuscifrons).

Relatively inconspicuous and skulking.

Degree of Sociality

Usually in small groups of up to six individuals; also singly and in pairs.

Juvenile in November. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Northern Maluku EBA. Moderately common. Relatively recently discovered on Obi Island, where uncommon, and may be a fairly recent arrival.