Oriental White-Eye

Oriental White-Eye

Zosterops palpebrosus

Also known as: Indian White-Eye

Predict Sightings

Habitat

Canopy

Diet

Omnivore

Active Time

Diurnal

Size

9 g

About This Species

A tiny, active bird with a distinctive white eye-ring, found gleaning insects and nectar in the canopy and mid-storey of gardens, scrub and forest edge across South and Southeast Asia. It moves in small, constantly chattering flocks, often joining mixed foraging parties. Flowering and fruiting trees in the cooler, drier months tend to draw the largest numbers.

Ethical Viewing Guidelines

  • Watch quietly from a short distance, since flocks will simply move on if pressed rather than tolerate close approach.
  • Wildlife protection laws vary across its extensive range, and capture for the cage-bird trade is illegal in several countries but still occurs, so avoid any activity that could be mistaken for trapping.
  • Letting the flock come to you, rather than following it into cover, keeps disturbance to a minimum.
LCAvesPasseriformesZosteropidae

Seasonal Activity

353,846 sightings · 2000–2026

Citizen science records via GBIF

All monthsThis month

Classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Zosteropidae

Traits

Diet
Omnivore
Foraging
Canopy
Activity
Diurnal
Body mass
9 g

Photo

Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

CC-BY-SA-4.0

Occurrence data from GBIF.