Lord Howe silvereye

The Lord Howe silvereye (Zosterops lateralis tephropleurus), also known as the Lord Howe white-eye, Lord Howe Island white-eye or, locally, as the "Little Grinnell", is a small bird in the white-eye family, Zosteropidae. It is a subspecies of the silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), though sometimes considered a full species. It is endemic to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, part of New South Wales, Australia.

Lord Howe silvereye
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Zosteropidae
Genus: Zosterops
Species:
Z. lateralis
Subspecies:
Z. l. tephropleurus
Trinomial name
Zosterops lateralis tephropleurus
Gould, 1855
Synonyms
  • Zosterops tephropleura
  • Zosterops tephropleurus

Description

The Lord Howe silvereye is sometimes treated as a full species. It differs from the nominate subspecies by being more robust, with larger feet and claws, a longer and heavier bill, with much olive-green on flanks, rump and lower back, and with canary yellow under-tail coverts.[1][2]

Distribution and habitat

The Lord Howe silvereye is restricted to Lord Howe Island, where it widely distributed through the native subtropical rainforest as well as around homes and gardens.[3][4]

Behaviour

Breeding

The bird builds a small cup-shaped nest of palm fibre, grass and spider webs, in which it lays a clutch of 2-4 small eggs in spring and summer.[5]

Feeding

The silvereyes glean insects from leaves and flowers, as well as eating small seeds, nectar and fruits, particularly guava and will come into gardens and houses, in which people may feed them mince meat and food scraps.

Status and conservation

The population of the Lord Howe silvereye has been estimated at about 5,000 breeding birds and stable. It is considered Vulnerable because of the restricted size of the population and area of its distribution.[6]

Notes
  1. Hindwood, p.72.
  2. Schodde & Mason, p.688.
  3. Schodde & Mason, p.688.
  4. Hutton.
  5. Hutton.
  6. Garnett & Crowley, pp.608 and 633.
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References
  • Garnett, Stephen T.; & Crowley, Gabriel M. (2000). The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000. Environment Australia: Canberra. ISBN 0-642-54683-5
  • Hindwood, K.A. (1940). Birds of Lord Howe Island. Emu 40: 1-86.
  • Hutton, Ian. (1991). Birds of Lord Howe Island: Past and Present. Author: Lord Howe Island.
  • Schodde, R.; & Mason, I.J. (1999). The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines. CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne. ISBN 0-643-06456-7
  • Profile - Saving NSW threatened species


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