Abyssinian white-eye
| Abyssinian white-eye | |
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| Species: | Z. abyssinicus
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| Zosterops abyssinicus Guérin-Méneville, 1843
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The Abyssinian white-eye or white-breasted white-eye (Zosterops abyssinicus) is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Zosterops in the white-eye family Zosteropidae. It is native to north-east Africa and southern Arabia.
It is 10–12 cm long. The upperparts are green; darker and greyer in northern races. There is a narrow white ring around the eye and a thin black line between the bill and eye. The underparts vary from pale yellow to greyish-white depending on the race. The bird has various twittering and buzzing calls.
In Africa it occurs from north-east Sudan south through Eritrea, Ethiopia, northern Somalia and Kenya to north-east Tanzania. It is also found on Socotra Island. In Arabia it occurs in south-west Saudi Arabia, Yemen and southern Oman. It occurs in open woodland, scrub, wadis and gardens. It is found up to 1,800 metres above sea-level in Africa and 3,100 metres in Arabia. It usually forages among branches in trees but sometimes descends to ground-level. It feeds mainly on insects and will also take nectar from flowers.
Notes
References
- Hollom, P. A. D.; Porter, R. F.; Christensen, S. & Willis, Ian (1988) Birds of the Middle East and North Africa, T & AD Poyser, Calton, England.
- Sinclair, I. & Ryan, P. (2003) Birds of Africa South of the Sahara, Struik, Cape Town.
- Zimmerman, D. A.; Turner, D. A. & Pearson, D. J. (1999) Birds of Kenya & Northern Tanzania, Christopher Helm, London.