Giant White-eye Megazosterops palauensis Scientific name definitions

13·5–14 cm. Large, relatively dull white-eye with heavy bill. Has pale yellowish supercilium from before eye, widening backwards, narrow indistinct pale yellow eyering, and dusky loral area leading to dark greyish ear-coverts with irregular pale yellow mottling; dark fulvous olive above, crown feathers greyish towards bases (giving mottled appearance); pale fulvous olive below , flanks slightly more buffy; iris greyish to dark rufous-brown; bill pale brown above, orange-yellow below; legs tawny or olive-green, soles yellowish. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed.

Palau Is (Babelthuap, Urukthapel and Peleliu).

Native forests and Leucaena thickets.

Not known.

Caterpillars, ants (Formicidae); also fruits , and nectar from flowering trees. Reportedly lives solitarily or in pairs, usually not travelling in flocks, although may apparently form flocks in Dec. Forages in tops of low trees and brambles, preferring upper part of tall vine-draped trees; also feeds in vine tangles close to ground.

Song  one of the most bizarre, some downward-inflected strained whistles followed by long trill or rhythmic rattling, surging in intensity while simultaneously upslurred whistles, trills and descending siren-like slurs uttered polyphonically; altogether sounding like two canaries (Serinus) singing at same time. Calls  include harsh scolding chatter, also loud grating calls during mutual chases; short sibilant downslurred whistle during feeding or in flight.

No information.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Palau EBA. Fairly common to abundant on Peleliu in relatively undisturbed jungle, common on Urukthapel. Apparently only one record from Babeldaob. Total population in 1991 estimated at 13,876 individuals. Absence from neighbouring islands of Palau Group (e.g. Koror, Eil Malk) difficult to explain. Population possibly declining as a result of gradual habitat loss. Introduction of predators could have serious adverse effects; in particular, arrival of brown tree-snake (Boiga irregularis), which has caused extinctions on other Pacific islands, would have devastating effect on present species’ numbers.