Lemon-bellied White-eye Zosterops chloris Scientific name definitions

Widespread across parts of Sulawesi, the Lesser Sundas, and many smaller islands in the Javan, Flores, and Banda Sea, Lemon-bellied White-eye is a commonly encountered songbird throughout much of its distribution. A fairly typical white-eye, being mostly yellowish, it is yellow-green above and brighter yellow below, with a fairly bold white eye-ring. It feeds on fruit and insects, and is often part of mixed-species flocks of flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae) and sunbirds (Nectariniidae). Across its distribution, its breeding season is variable, though it possibly breeds throughout the year in some places, laying 1–4 eggs in a small cup-shaped nest. It is not globally threatened, and is common in many parts of its range, often occurring in village centers and suburban gardens as well as natural forested and woodland habitats.

11–12 cm; 9–14 g. Nominate subspecies has base of forehead and supraloral line almost pure yellow, eye-ring white, lores and streak below eye-ring dusky, ear-coverts olive-yellow; crown and upperparts yellowish-green; flight-feathers and tail feathers blackish-brown, edged yellowish-green; throat and underparts deep yellow with greenish flanks; iris brown to reddish-brown or pale yellow-brown; bill black or brownish-black above, bluish-gray below; legs slaty grayish-blue. Sexes similar. Immature is somewhat more greenish below and somewhat more grayish-green above.

Has sometimes been treated as conspecific with Javan White-eye (Zosterops flavus), Ashy-bellied White-eye (Zosterops citrinella), and Australian White-eye (Zosterops luteus). Wakatobi White-eye (Zosterops flavissimus) was recently split from Lemon-bellied White-eye on the basis of genetic divergence, as well as morphological, vocal, and plumage differences (1 O'Connell, D. P., D. J. Kelly, N. Lawless, K. O'Brien, F. Ó. Marcaigh, A. Karya, K. Analuddin, and N. M. Marples (2019). A sympatric pair of undescribed white-eye species (Aves: Zosteropidae: Zosterops) with different origins. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186:701-724 Close , 2 O'Connell, D. P., D. J. Kelly, S. B. A. Kelly, K. Analuddin, A. Karya, N. M. Marples, F. E. Rheindt, and T. E. Martin (2020). An assessment of the avifauna of the Wakatobi Islands, South-east Sulawesi, Indonesia: species recorded and taxonomic considerations. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 68:574-587 Close ). Lemon-bellied White-eye and Wakatobi White-eye appear to be sister species (1 O'Connell, D. P., D. J. Kelly, N. Lawless, K. O'Brien, F. Ó. Marcaigh, A. Karya, K. Analuddin, and N. M. Marples (2019). A sympatric pair of undescribed white-eye species (Aves: Zosteropidae: Zosterops) with different origins. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186:701-724 Close , 3 Gwee, C. Y., K. M. Garg, B. Chattopadhyay, K. R. Sadanandan, D. M. Prawiradilaga, M. Irestedt, F. Lei, L. M. Bloch, J. G. H. Lee, M. Irham, T. Haryoko, M. C. K. Soh, K. S-H. Peh, K. M. C. Rowe, T. R. Ferasyi, S. Wu, G. O. U. Wogan, R. C. K. Bowie, and F. E. Rheindt (2020). Phylogenomics of white-eyes, a 'great speciator', reveals Indonesian archipelago as the center of lineage diversity. eLife 9:e62765 Close , 2 O'Connell, D. P., D. J. Kelly, S. B. A. Kelly, K. Analuddin, A. Karya, N. M. Marples, F. E. Rheindt, and T. E. Martin (2020). An assessment of the avifauna of the Wakatobi Islands, South-east Sulawesi, Indonesia: species recorded and taxonomic considerations. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 68:574-587 Close ), with these two species together sister to Sangkar White-eye (Zosterops melanurus) (3 Gwee, C. Y., K. M. Garg, B. Chattopadhyay, K. R. Sadanandan, D. M. Prawiradilaga, M. Irestedt, F. Lei, L. M. Bloch, J. G. H. Lee, M. Irham, T. Haryoko, M. C. K. Soh, K. S-H. Peh, K. M. C. Rowe, T. R. Ferasyi, S. Wu, G. O. U. Wogan, R. C. K. Bowie, and F. E. Rheindt (2020). Phylogenomics of white-eyes, a 'great speciator', reveals Indonesian archipelago as the center of lineage diversity. eLife 9:e62765 Close ). Described subspecies majauensis (from Mayu Island) and tudjuensis (Tujuh Island) merged with nominate; solombensis (Masalembu Islands), zachlora (Laut Kecil Islands), and periplectus (Lombok) subsumed into maxi; and sumbavensis (Bima, in eastern Sumbawa) and kalaotuae (Kalaotoa Island) synonymized with intermedius. In Sulawesi, identity of birds in northeastern arm of mainland, on Dodepo Island (in northern Tomini Bay), and on Kabaena Island (off southeastern Sulawesi) unclear; all provisionally placed with intermedius, but those on Dodepo and Kabaena possibly represent undescribed subspecies.

Four subspecies recognized. Subspecies intermedius is smaller than nominate, has finer bill, paler underparts, less dark greenish flanks (variable); mentoris is very close to previous but with smaller wing and bill, and rich yellow underparts as nominate, relatively long tail; maxi is dullest, more greenish above and paler yellow below than intermedius, but color of underparts rather variable in both subspecies.

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SUBSPECIES

Zosterops chloris maxi Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Karimata Is (off W Borneo), islets S & E of Belitung, islands in Bay of Jakarta (Seribu Is), Karimunjawa Is, Gili (off Bawean I), Laut Kecil Is, Kangean Is, Menjangan (off NW Bali), Nusa Penida, and Lombok.

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SUBSPECIES

Zosterops chloris mentoris Scientific name definitions

Distribution

NC Sulawesi. Recently discovered population in SE Sulawesi provisionally assigned to this subspecies (4 Trochet, J.A., Irham, I., Hitch, A.T., Haryoko, T., Ashari, H., Putra, D.D. and Engilis, A. (2014). Range expansion of Lemon-bellied White-eye Zosterops chloris and Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster to south-east Sulawesi, Indonesia. Forktail 30: 143–145. Close ).

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SUBSPECIES

Zosterops chloris intermedius Scientific name definitions

Distribution

E and S Sulawesi, Dodepo I, Kabaena, Muna, Butung, small islands in Flores Sea (Tanakeke, Selayar, Tanahjampea, Kalao, Bonerate, Kalaotoa, Madu), and C Lesser Sundas (Sumbawa, Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Palu, Besar, Sabolan Besar, Solor (5 Schellekens, M., Trainor, C.R. and Duhan, G.U.U.B. (2011). New and significant bird records for Solor, Adonara, and Lembata (Lomblen) islands, Lesser Sundas. Kukila 15: 31–49. Close ), Pantar (6 Trainor, C. R., P. Verbelen, and R. E. Johnstone (2012). The avifauna of Alor and Pantar, Lesser Sundas, Indonesia. Forktail 28:77–92. Close ) ).

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SUBSPECIES

Zosterops chloris chloris Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Mayu I (halfway between Sulawesi and Halmahera), Schildpad Is (N of Misool), Tujuh (off N Seram), Banda, Manuk, Seram Laut, Tayandu, Kai, Taam (off Kai), and outliers of Aru Is (Babi, Karang, Enu).

Widely distributed across parts of Sulawesi, the Lesser Sundas, and as far east as the Banda Islands, and Tanimbar Islands, as well as many smaller islands, including in the Bay of Jakarta, Java Sea, and Flores Sea.

Secondary forest and open woodland, scrub, mangroves, strand forest, and coastal thickets, casuarinas (Casuarina), Ficus thickets in open coastal woodlands, thickets under coconut plantations, and cultivation; readily found in village centers and suburban gardens; often on small islands, even those overcrowded with humans. Mainly near sea-level, but locally to 1,200 m (Flores), 1,660 m (Lombok), 1,000 m (north-central Sulawesi), and 1,800 m (southern Sulawesi), where it meets edge of closed forest.

Resident; some local movement. On Menjangan (off northwestern Bali), some post-breeding movement in dry season (June–September) to mainland, less than 500 m away. On Bawean Island (off central Java), the species was entirely absent, but in May it was found on small satellite island of Gili, where it was absent again in November.

Varied. Fruits from banyan tree (Ficus benjamina), Eugenia trees, and also from shrub Lantana camara and herb Tacca leontopetaloides; insects taken include plant lice (Phytophthires) and small white cicadas (Cicadoidea). Usually in small flocks, flying from tree to tree; often in company of flowerpeckers (Dicaeidae) and sunbirds (Nectariniidae). In non-breeding season, may form larger flocks of up to 25 or more individuals. Restless. Forages at all levels of vegetation. Visits fruiting trees.

Song a weak, though rich and beautiful jumbled mixture of rapid high-pitched musical seesawing and more sibilant short “si-si” notes, given in short burst of 1·3–1·5 seconds, repeated, sometimes monotonously, at intervals of 6–8 seconds; in Sulawesi sounding as “echew-weecherechitche-chew-chicherechee-ew-cheep”; on Kalaotoa I described also as a whistle which ascends sharply and continues in very pleasant twittering. Gives real concerts at dawn and, especially, at sunset. Call a loud “shilp” or “chiew” reminiscent of that of House Sparrow (Passer domesticus).

On Sulawesi, breeds from January–February in central portion of the country, September–April (possibly throughout year) in the south, and September–October on Muna and Butung; September in Java, and April–May/June on Flores; possibly within November–April wet season (and dependent on climatic conditions) on islets off Bali; small fledglings in April in Banda Islands. Nest small, ca. 6–7 cm across and 2.5–2.8 cm high, with rather strong walls but thin bottom, made from tender fibers, shallow cup entirely lined with black fibers of Arenga sacchifera palm, attached to surrounding branches with spider web; in southern Sulawesi generally suspended between two twigs 1.5–4 m above ground, but sometimes high in canopy of tree (e.g., Anona, Cassia, Erythrina, Mangifera, and Artocarpus), shrub (Vitex, Lagenaria, and Lantana), or in Lanea hedge, preferably in shady dense vegetation. Clutch in southern Sulawesi 2–3 (occasionally 4) eggs, pale blue or snow-white, 15–15.9 × 11.9–12.4 mm, on Flores 1–4 (usually 3) eggs, pale blue to white, 16.3 × 12.6 mm, on islets in Java Sea 2 bluish-green eggs; no information on incubation and nestling periods. Breeding success of 21 nests on islets in Java Sea 33 %.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Generally common. Locally abundant, e.g., Tanahjampea Island, Madu Island, Besar Island, outliers of Aru Islands, Taam; most common bird species on Butung and Kalaotoa. Apparently rare at periphery of distribution on Sulawesi (Morowali, in northern Sulawesi). Density of 4–6 nest territories in 75 m² reported in southern Sulawesi. It has recently expanded into southeastern Sulawesi, being apparently favored by forest destruction (7 Trochet, J.A., Irham, M., Hitch, A.T., Haryoko, T., Ashari, H., Putra, D.D. and Engilis, A. Jr. (2014). Range expansion of Lemon-bellied White-eye Zosterops chloris and Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster to south-east Sulawesi, Indonesia. Forktail. 30: 143–145. Close ). Has its core distribution on mainland Sulawesi and Lesser Sundas; in east (islets off Kai Islands, Aru and Seram, Banda Islands) and western parts (islets off Bali, and in Java Sea) the species is distributed sporadically and occurs only on small islands, normally shunning even moderately sized ones.