Warbling white-eye facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Warbling white-eye |
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The warbling white-eye (Zosterops japonicus) is a small passerine bird, which means it's a type of perching bird. It belongs to the white-eye family. This bird is naturally found in many parts of East Asia, including Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. People have also brought it to other places, sometimes as a pet or to help control pests. It's been shown in Japanese art for a long time and was once kept as a popular cage bird.
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About the Warbling White-Eye Name
The warbling white-eye was first described by two scientists, Coenraad Jacob Temminck and Hermann Schlegel, in 1847. They found a specimen in Japan and gave it the scientific name Zosterops japonicus.
This bird was once known as the "Japanese white-eye." But scientists who study birds, called ornithologists, found out new things. A big study in 2018 showed that some birds thought to be different species were actually the same. So, the "Japanese white-eye" and the "mountain white-eye" (from the Philippines) were grouped together. The new official English name became "warbling white-eye." This name helps show that it's a wider group of birds.
There are many different types, or subspecies, of the warbling white-eye. Many of these live only on certain islands.
What Does the Warbling White-Eye Look Like?
The warbling white-eye has an olive green back. Its belly is a lighter green color. Its feet, legs, and beak can be black or brown. The bird has a green forehead and a yellow throat.
This bird has rounded wings and a long, thin beak. These features help it move around easily, especially when flying through trees. Its wings are dark brown with green edges. Like other white-eyes, it has a clear white ring around its eyes. This white ring is how it got its name. In Japan, it's called mejiro, which means "white eye." Adult birds are about 4 to 4.5 inches (10 to 11.5 cm) long. They usually weigh between 9.75 and 12.75 grams, which is about the weight of a few paper clips.
How Warbling White-Eyes Behave
You will rarely find this bird on the ground. It is a very friendly bird that likes to be with others. They often form flocks with other bird species. In these groups, they fly together to find food. White-eyes only flock with other species when they are not breeding.
They often clean each other, which is called allopreening. This means they help groom and take care of parts of each other's bodies. Even birds of different species have been seen doing this when kept together. While they are social in groups, warbling white-eyes usually have only one mate at a time. This is called being monogamous.
Birds in a flock show who is in charge through physical actions. Some actions are used by both males and females. These include quickly flicking their wings to show the underside. They also flutter their wings and make them vibrate. Other actions are opening their beak wide or snapping it shut quickly to make a noise. During the breeding season, male birds sing loudly to claim their territory. Males will chase away other warbling white-eyes. But they let other bird species build nests inside their territory.
Nesting and Reproduction
Pairs of warbling white-eyes, who usually stay together, pick a spot for their nest. They build nests between 1 and 30 meters (about 3 to 98 feet) above the ground. Building the nest takes about 7 to 10 days. They use many different materials, both living and non-living. Some examples are spider webs, moss, lichens, and animal hair. They sometimes even take materials from other birds' nests!
Their nests are shaped like a cup. They are about 56.2 mm (2.2 inches) wide and 41.7 mm (1.6 inches) deep. Most nests are only used once. But some nests might be used up to three times in one season.
What Warbling White-Eyes Eat
The warbling white-eye eats many different things. It is an omnivorous bird. Its diet includes fruit from various flowering plants, different kinds of insects, and nectar. They find insects by looking on leaves and searching tree bark for larvae.
By eating insects, they help control insect populations. They also help spread seeds when they eat fruit. However, their role in spreading seeds in Hawaii does not seem to be very important.
Where Warbling White-Eyes Live
The warbling white-eye is found in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, eastern China, and the northern Philippines. Some groups of these birds migrate. They spend their winters in places like Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam. In Japan, the white-eye is very common and is one of the most dominant bird species.
Warbling White-Eyes in Hawaii
The warbling white-eye was brought to O’ahu, Hawaii, in 1929. Since then, its population has grown very quickly. Now, you can find it on every island in Hawaii. These islands have different climates, from tropical rainforests to forests where trees lose their leaves.
By 1987, the white-eye was the most common land bird on the Hawaiian Islands. It has become a problem for native Hawaiian birds, like the Hawaiian honeycreepers. This is because the white-eye can carry bird parasites that harm native birds. It also spreads seeds of invasive plants.
Who Preys on Warbling White-Eyes?
Small mammals like the Polynesian rat, Black rat, Norway rats, and the mongoose are known to eat native Hawaiian birds. There are no specific records of animals that prey on the warbling white-eye itself. However, it is likely that animals that hunt small birds and mammals in the same areas also hunt the white-eye.
Who Do Warbling White-Eyes Compete With?
In its natural home, the warbling white-eye competes with other native perching birds. This includes other white-eye species. In Hawaii, the warbling white-eye competes with native birds like the common 'amakihi. They compete for food, such as nectar and fruit, and for living space.
In Hawaii, the warbling white-eye has been seen visiting native flowers. These flowers are thought to have developed together with native birds that eat nectar. This means that changes in the flowers caused changes in the native birds, and vice versa, over a long time. The fact that the white-eye visits these flowers, along with the decline of native nectar-eating birds, suggests that the white-eye is taking their food source.
Protecting Native Birds from Warbling White-Eyes
Native bird species need enough food to grow healthy and survive. To make this happen, their food sources must return to normal levels. Many believe that the introduced warbling white-eye is causing this food shortage. So, controlling the white-eye population is very important to help native Hawaiian birds recover.
It is also important to know the status of native birds. Those that are endangered might benefit from having special protected areas. In 1980, a program in California tried to get rid of the Indian white-eye. They used special nets and even shot some birds. This was the most successful way to catch them. It is still being studied if getting rid of invasive birds is possible in other places. But it could be an option for the warbling white-eye in Hawaii. However, scientists need to learn more about the white-eye's role in nature, like if it helps spread seeds or pollinate plants, before big steps are taken.
