Silvereye
Zosterops lateralis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyZosteropidae (White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies)
- GenusZosterops (Typical White-eyes)
- SpeciesZosterops lateralis (Silvereye)
About the Silvereye
The silvereye or wax-eye (Zosterops lateralis), also known by its Māori name tauhou, is a very small omnivorous passerine bird of the south-west Pacific. In Australia and New Zealand its common name is sometimes white-eye, but this name is more commonly used to refer to all members of the genus Zosterops, or the entire family Zosteropidae.
In New Zealand, the silvereye was first recorded in 1832. It arrived in greater numbers in 1856, and it is assumed that a migrating flock was swept eastwards by a storm. As an apparently self-introduced bird it is protected as a native New Zealand species. Its Māori name, tauhou, means "stranger" or more literally, "new arrival".
The silvereye was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name Sylvia lateralis. There are 17 subspecies: Z. l. chlorocephalus A. J. Campbell & S. A. White, 1910 (Capricorn silvereye)– Capricorn and Bunker Group, central Queensland, Australia
Z. l. chloronotus Gould, 1841 (western silvereye) – south-west Western Australia from Carnarvon southwards coastally and subcoastally to South Australia at the head of the Great Australian Bight Z. l. cornwalli Mathews, 1912... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Flinders Chase
Superb Fairywren
Malurus cyaneus
Grey Fantail
Rhipidura albiscapa
Australian Magpie
Gymnorhina tibicen
Red Wattlebird
Anthochaera carunculata
Welcome Swallow
Hirundo neoxena
New Holland Honeyeater
Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Scarlet Robin
Petroica boodang
Striated Pardalote
Pardalotus striatus
Australian Raven
Corvus coronoides
Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla
Spotted Pardalote
Pardalotus punctatus
Grey Currawong
Strepera versicolor
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Silvereye in Flinders Chase?
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Silvereye sighting in Flinders Chase, based on 133 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Silvereye in Flinders Chase?
December has the highest sighting rate for Silvereye in Flinders Chase in our monthly data.