Cape White-eye
Zosterops virens
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyZosteropidae (White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies)
- GenusZosterops (Typical White-eyes)
- SpeciesZosterops virens (Cape White-eye)
About the Cape White-eye
The Cape white-eye (Zosterops virens) is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. It is native to southern Africa. It is commonly found in suburbia, parks and gardens, besides a variety of mesic to well-watered habitats.
There are two subspecies: Z. v. capensis Sundevall, 1850 – south-western South Africa, Lesotho and adjacent western KwaZulu-Natal. Z. v. virens Sundevall, 1850 – eastern and south-eastern Botswana, eastern and northern South Africa, Eswatini, and adjacent south-western Mozambique.
These subspecies interbreed where they come into contact. The Orange River white-eye (Z. pallidus) has been split from the Cape white-eye. This species is about 12 cm long with rounded wings, strong legs, and a conspicuous ring of white feathers round the eyes. The upperparts are green, and the throat and vent are bright yellow. The members of the Z. v. capensis has a grey breast and belly, whereas Z. v. virens has a greenish-yellow breast and belly.
They are very vocal, and constantly keep in touch with soft trilled pee, pree or pirreee call notes. The song consists of repeated long jerky phrases of sweet reedy notes, varying in pitch, volume and... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Orange River White-eye
Zosterops pallidus
Pied Starling
Lamprotornis bicolor
Red-winged Starling
Onychognathus morio
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
Cape Bunting
Emberiza capensis
Southern Fiscal
Lanius collaris
White-necked Raven
Corvus albicollis
Cape Weaver
Ploceus capensis
African Red-eyed Bulbul
Pycnonotus nigricans
Bokmakierie
Telophorus zeylonus
Rock Martin
Ptyonoprogne fuligula
Levaillant's Cisticola
Cisticola tinniens
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
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cape White-eye in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Cape White-eye sighting in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cape White-eye in Golden Gate Highlands National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Cape White-eye in Golden Gate Highlands National Park in our monthly data.