Indian White-eye
Zosterops palpebrosus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyZosteropidae (White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies)
- GenusZosterops (Typical White-eyes)
- SpeciesZosterops palpebrosus (Indian White-eye)
About the Indian White-eye
The Indian white-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus), formerly the Oriental white-eye, is a small species of passerine bird in the white-eye family. It is a resident breeder in open woodland on the Indian subcontinent. They forage in small groups, feeding on nectar and small insects. The distinctive white eye-ring and overall yellowish upperparts easily identify them. The range previously extended eastwards to Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Their name was recently changed because previous members of Zosterops palpebrosus in Southeast Asia were reclassified as a new species, making the Indian White-eye a more geographically accurate term for this species.
The Indian white-eye was described by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1824, based on a specimen collected in Bengal. He coined the binomial name Sylvia palpebrosa. The English and scientific names refer to the conspicuous ring of white feathers round the eyes, palpebrosus being Neo-Latin for "having prominent eyelids", from the Latin palpebrae "eyelids".
The English name of this species was changed from "Oriental white-eye" to "Indian white-eye" to more accurately reflect the geographic range following... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Gir National Park
Indian Robin
Saxicoloides fulicatus
Large-billed Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Copsychus saularis
Yellow-throated Sparrow
Gymnoris xanthocollis
White-browed Fantail
Rhipidura aureola
Purple Sunbird
Cinnyris asiaticus
Black Drongo
Dicrurus macrocercus
Jungle Babbler
Turdoides striata
Black-hooded Oriole
Oriolus xanthornus
Common Iora
Aegithina tiphia
Cinereous Tit
Parus cinereus
Indian Paradise-Flycatcher
Terpsiphone paradisi
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 Indian White-eye in Gir National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Indian White-eye sighting in Gir National Park, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Indian White-eye in Gir National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Indian White-eye in Gir National Park in our monthly data.