Swinhoe's white-eye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swinhoe's white-eye
In Hong Kong
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Zosteropidae
Genus:	Zosterops
Species:	Z. simplex
Binomial name
Zosterops simplex R. Swinhoe, 1861
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The Swinhoe's white-eye (Zosterops simplex) is a small bird. It belongs to the white-eye family. You can find this bird in many parts of Asia. This includes eastern China, Taiwan, and northern Vietnam. It also lives in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Some populations have even been brought to Southern California.

About the Swinhoe's White-Eye

Swinhoe's white-eye is known for the white ring around its eyes. This ring looks like a pair of tiny white glasses! These birds are often found in groups. They like to live in forests, gardens, and parks. They are very active and move quickly through the trees.

Naming the Swinhoe's White-Eye

This bird was first described in 1861. An English naturalist named Robert Swinhoe gave it its scientific name, Zosterops simplex.

The name Zosterops comes from ancient Greek words. These words mean "belt" or "girdle" and "eye." This refers to the white ring around the bird's eye. The second part of the name, simplex, is a Latin word. It means "simple" or "plain."

For a long time, this bird was thought to be a type of Japanese white-eye. But in 2018, scientists studied its DNA. They found that it was different enough to be its own separate species.

Different Types of Swinhoe's White-Eye

There are five main types, or subspecies, of Swinhoe's white-eye. They live in different areas:

• Z. s. simplex: Found in eastern China, Taiwan, and parts of northeast Vietnam.
• Z. s. hainanus: Lives on Hainan Island, off southeast China.
• Z. s. erwini: Found along the coast of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo.
• Z. s. williamsoni: Lives near the Gulf of Thailand coast and western Cambodia.
• Z. s. salvadorii: Found on Enggano Island, west of Sumatra.