Zosterops

Taxobox
name = "Zosterops"

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = Japanese White-eye "Zosterops japonicus"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Zosteropidae (disputed)
genus = "Zosterops"
genus_authority = Vigors & Horsfield, 1827
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =Some 75, see text.

"Zosterops" is a genus of birds containing the typical white-eyes. They are traditionally placed in the white-eye family Zosteropidae which may actually be a part of the Timaliidae however (Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006). The latest comprehensive review of Australian bird taxonomy by Christidis and Boles also places this genus in the Timaliidae. This genus has the highest number of species among the white-eyes by far. They occur in the Afrotropic ecoregion, the Indomalaya zone, and the Australasia ecozone. Typical white-eyes can reach a length between 8 and 15 cm. Their most characteristic feature is the conspicuous white feather ring around the eyes, though some species lack it.

ystematics

A review of new DNA sequence data (Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006) suggests that the genus might not be monophyletic. Few species have been researched however, with the highest density of sampled taxa being from Micronesia. There, it appears, a more distinct eastern lineage and a western one closer to East Asian species occur. The relationships of the former to the "Rukia" white-eyes need investigation. Also, the Cape White-eye seems to stand apart from the rest but this is by no means certain.

* African Yellow White-eye, "Zosterops senegalensis"
** Cameroon Green White-eye, "Zosterops (senegalensis) stenocricotus"
** Kirk's White-eye, "Zosterops (senegalensis) kirki"
* Pemba White-eye, "Zosterops vaughani"
* Chestnut-sided White-eye, "Zosterops mayottensis"
** Seychelles (Chestnut-sided) White-eye, "Zosterops (mayottensis) semiflava" - extinct (late 19th century)
* Montane (Broad-ringed) White-eye, "Zosterops poliogastrus" - formerly "poliogaster"
** Kulal White-eye, "Zosterops (poliogastrus) kulalensis"
** Taita White-eye, "Zosterops (poliogastrus) silvanus"
** South Pare White-eye, "Zosterops (poliogastrus) winifredae"
** Kikuyu White-eye, "Zosterops (poliogastrus) kikuyuensis".
* White-breasted White-eye, "Zosterops abyssinicus"
* Cape White-eye, "Zosterops pallidus"
** Orange River White-eye, "Zosterops (pallidus) pallidus"
* Madagascar White-eye, "Zosterops maderaspatanus"
* Mount Karthala White-eye, "Zosterops mouroniensis"
* Sao Tome White-eye, "Zosterops ficedulinus"
* Annobon White-eye, "Zosterops griseovirescens"
* Mascarene White-eye, "Zosterops borbonicus"
** Réunion Grey White-eye, "Zosterops (borbonicus) borbonicus"
** Mauritius Grey White-eye, "Zosterops (borbonicus) mauritianus"
* Reunion White-eye, "Zosterops olivaceus"
* Mauritius Olive White-eye, "Zosterops chloronothos"
* Seychelles White-eye, "Zosterops modestus"
* Sri Lanka White-eye, "Zosterops ceylonensis"
* Chestnut-flanked White-eye, "Zosterops erythropleurus"
* Oriental White-eye, "Zosterops palpebrosus"
* Japanese White-eye, "Zosterops japonicus"
**Borodino Islands White-Eye, "Zosterops japonicus daitoensis"
* Lowland White-eye, "Zosterops meyeni"
* Enggano White-eye, "Zosterops salvadorii"
* Bridled White-eye, "Zosterops conspicillatus" - possibly poly- or paraphyletic
** Guam Bridled White-eye, "Zosterops (conspicillatus) conspicillatus" - extinct (1983)
* Rota Bridled White-eye, "Zosterops rotensis" - recently split from "Z. conspicillatus"
* Plain White-eye, "Zosterops hypolais"
* Caroline Islands White-eye, "Zosterops semperi"
* Black-capped White-eye, "Zosterops atricapilla" - formerly "atricapillus"
* Everett's White-eye, "Zosterops everetti"
* Yellowish White-eye, "Zosterops nigrorum"
* Mountain White-eye, "Zosterops montanus"
* Christmas Island White-eye, "Zosterops natalis"
* Javan White-eye, "Zosterops flavus"
* Yellow-bellied White-eye, "Zosterops chloris"
* Ashy-bellied White-eye, "Zosterops citrinella" - formerly "citrinellus"
* Pearl-bellied White-eye, "Zosterops grayi"
* Golden-bellied White-eye, "Zosterops uropygialis"
* Sulawesi White-eye, "Zosterops consobrinorum"
* Black-ringed White-eye, "Zosterops anomalus"
* Yellow-spectacled White-eye, "Zosterops wallacei"
* Black-crowned White-eye, "Zosterops atrifrons"
* Sangihe White-eye, "Zosterops nehrkorni"
* Seram White-eye, "Zosterops stalkeri"
* Creamy-throated White-eye, "Zosterops atriceps"
* Black-fronted White-eye, "Zosterops minor"
* White-throated White-eye, "Zosterops meeki"
* Black-headed White-eye, "Zosterops hypoxanthus"
* Biak White-eye, "Zosterops mysorensis"
* Capped White-eye, "Zosterops fuscicapilla" - formerly "fuscicapillus"
* Buru Yellow White-eye, "Zosterops buruensis"
* Ambon Yellow White-eye, "Zosterops kuehni"
* New Guinea White-eye, "Zosterops novaeguineae"
* Australian Yellow White-eye, "Zosterops luteus"
* Louisiade White-eye, "Zosterops griseotinctus"
* Rennell White-eye, "Zosterops rennellianus"
* Banded White-eye, "Zosterops vellalavella"
* Ganongga White-eye, "Zosterops splendidus"
* Splendid White-eye, "Zosterops luteirostris"
* Solomon Islands White-eye, "Zosterops kulambangrae"
* Kulambangra White-eye, "Zosterops murphyi"
* Yellow-throated White-eye, "Zosterops metcalfii"
* Grey-throated White-eye, "Zosterops rendovae"
* Malaita White-eye, "Zosterops stresemanni"
* Santa Cruz White-eye, "Zosterops santaecrucis"
* Silvereye, "Zosterops lateralis"
** Lord Howe Silvereye, "Zosterops (lateralis) tephropleurus" - formerly "tephropleurus"
* Lord Howe White-eye, "Zosterops strenuus" - formerly "strenua"; extinct (c.1918)
* Slender-billed White-eye, "Zosterops tenuirostris"
* White-chested White-eye, "Zosterops albogularis"
* Large Lifou White-eye, "Zosterops inornatus"
* Layard's White-eye, "Zosterops explorator"
* Yellow-fronted White-eye, "Zosterops flavifrons"
* Green-backed White-eye, "Zosterops xanthochroa" - formerly "xanthochrous"
* Small Lifou White-eye, "Zosterops minutus"
* Samoan White-eye, "Zosterops samoensis"
* Dusky White-eye, "Zosterops finschii"
* Grey-brown White-eye, "Zosterops cinereus"
* Yap Olive White-eye, "Zosterops oleagineus" - sometimes placed in "Rukia" (as "R. oleaginea")
* Togian White-eye, "Zosterops somadikartai" - described in 2008
* Wangi Wangi White-eye "Zosterops sp. nov." - discovered in 2003
* Vanikoro White-eye "Zosterops gibbsi" - described in 2008

References

* Jønsson, Knud A. & Fjeldså, Jon (2006): A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds (Aves: Passeri). "Zool. Scripta" 35(2): 149–186. doi|:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00221.x (HTML abstract)

External links

* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=170 Zosterops videos] on the Internet Bird Collection