Sri Lanka White-eye Zosterops ceylonensis Scientific name definitions

c. 11 cm; one female 12·6g. Male has top of head and upperparts between olive-green and dark citrine; lores and streak under eye dusky grey, some grey also on ear-coverts; white eyering of average width, interrupted at front by dark grey spot continuous with lores; flight-feathers and tail feathers blackish-brown with broad dark greenish ­margins; greenish-yellow throat and breast, becoming greenish towards margins, under­tail-coverts pure yellow, remainder of underparts greyish-white, darker on flanks, usually a trace of yellow streak over belly; iris light brown; bill blackish above, bluish-grey below; legs dark greyish. Differs from Z. palpebrosus in somewhat larger size, much duller and greener plumage, yellow extending over whole breast, and longer bill, tarsus and tail. Female is like male, but less dark on forehead. Juvenile is slightly paler above than adult, and has narrower eyering, and slightly brighter yellow on threat and breast.

Hills and mountains of Sri Lanka.

Forest, forest edge, low isolated bushes, tea plantations, patna jungle, and gardens ; above 1000 m, sometimes as low as c. 450 m in SW (e.g. Sinharaja), and with mountain tops as upper limit. Overlaps locally with Z. palpebrosus.

Not known.

Nectar , berries, and insects; insects include tiny moths and small caterpillars (Lepidoptera), in particular those of the tea tortrix (Homona coffearia). Outside breeding season forages in flocks of 10–15, sometimes of hundreds; also in mixed flocks, including Z. palpebrosus where the two species co-occur. At lower elevations of its distribution (at 450–600 m), is an alternative nuclear species in flocks where both nuclear species Orange-billed Babbler (Turdoides rufescens) and Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) are absent; here it occurs in 19% (dry season) to 31% (wet season) of mixed-species flocks.

Jingling song, heard before sunrise, reminiscent of sound made by shaking bunch of keys, repeated 8–9 times; described also as fairly prolonged, syncopated strophe of short, sharp couplets or triplets, roughly alternating in pitch but at constant tempo, e.g. “chik chik chuk chik chik chuk-chuk chik”. Common call note “cheep”, like the chirp of a sparrow (Passer), or a slightly downturned short reedy chirp, “chísíp”, stronger, deeper and less nasal than that of Z. palpebrosus.

Feb–Jul, with peak in Apr, and renewed activity in Aug–Sept, occasionally in other months. Nest built by both sexes, a small deep cup made from green moss, rootlets, fine grass and fibres, lined with rootlets, suspended by rim in slender fork 1–7 m (mostly 2–4 m) above ground among foliage of tea bush (Camellia thea), often in Grevillea robusta (a shade tree in tea plantations), or in bushy sapling or bush at forest edge, or in fir tree (Abies), often in comparatively low shrub or tree growing in open; more often a lower site is selected than those chosen by Z. palpebrosus. Clutch 2 eggs, occasionally 3, pale bluish-green, 16·5 × 12 mm; care of young, probably also incubation, by both sexes; no information on duration of incubation and nestling periods.

Not globally threatened. Restrictedrange species: present in Sri Lanka EBA. The most common bird species in higher parts of Sri Lanka.