Swinhoe’s White-eyes

Order - Passeriformes
Family - Zosteropidae (White-eyes)

Swinhoe’s White-eyes

Zosterops simplex

灰腹绣眼鸟 (huī-fù xiù-yǎn-niǎo)

    Malay : Kelicap-Kacamata Biasa

    Japanese : ハイバラメジロ (hai-bara me-jiro)

    Kanji 日語漢字 : 灰腹目白

    Size : 9.6–11 cm; 5.6–11 g

    

    Subspecies and Distribution

• Zosterops simplex williamsoni (Robinson & Kloss, 1919)
  – Gulf of Thailand coast (from Bangkok S to Pattani) and W Cambodia.
  
  • Identification :
    – Bright yellow forehead and supraloral region, with extensive yellow above lores, slightly paler throat and undertail-coverts, mid-ventral stripe less distinct or lacking; crown and upperparts olive-green, rump more yellowish.
• Zosterops simplex hainanus (E. Hartert, 1923)
  – Hainan.
  
  • Identification :
    – Similar to nominate simplex, but distinctly smaller in size, has head and mantle slightly more yellowish.
• Zosterops simplex erwini (Chasen, 1935)
  – Coastal forests of the western and southeastern Thai-Malay Peninsula, of Sumatra, the Riau Islands, Bangka, and the Natuna Islands; population of coastal western Borneo provisionally assigned here, but possibly a distinct taxon.
• Zosterops simplex simplex (Swinhoe, 1861)
  – E China (extreme S Gansu E to Jiangsu, S to Sichuan, E Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong and Fujian) and Taiwan and extreme NE Vietnam (E Tonkin); non-breeding SE China S to Thailand and C Indochina.
  
  • Identification :
    – Overall similar to Zosterops simplex williamsoni; pale underparts with more yellowish upperparts.

Zosterops simplex ssp. erwini
Date : 08 July 2018

Location : Hutan Paya Bakau Sungai Merbok, Sungai Batu,
Daerah Kuala Muda, Kedah

Here’s the formal list of the new species, with subspecies and ranges; the subspecies with an asterisk have undergone a name change because of reorganization under a different species; all the below species are reconstituted, but the ones that have a change to the English name associated with the scientific name have two asterisks

††Indian White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus

• Zosterops palpebrosus occidentis northeastern Afghanistan east to western Himalayas, and northern and central India
• Zosterops palpebrosus palpebrosus central and eastern Himalayas east to southern China (Sichuan, Yunnan) and Myanmar; isolated populations on Mahawt Island, Oman, and in southern Iran have been assigned to nominate palpebralis, although this requires confirmation
• Zosterops palpebrosus nilgiriensis western India (Western Ghats); most populations elsewhere in southern peninsular India are more or less similar
• Zosterops palpebrosus salimalii SE India (se Hyderabad)
• Zosterops palpebrosus egregius Sri Lanka
• Zosterops palpebrosus siamensis southern Myanmar east through Indochina
• Zosterops palpebrosus nicobaricus Andaman and Nicobar islands

†Hume’s White-eye Zosterops auriventer

• *Zosterops auriventer auriventer poorly known; documented only from southeastern Myanmar
• *Zosterops auriventer tahanensis southern Thai-Malay Peninsula
• *Zosterops auriventer wetmorei southern Thailand and the northern Thai-Malay Peninsula
• *Zosterops auriventer medius Borneo

†Sangkar White-eye Zosterops melanurus

• *Zosterops melanurus buxtoni western Java; a population on Sumatra also has been assigned to buxtoni, but the identification of Sumatran birds as buxtoni has been questioned
• *Zosterops melanurus melanurus Mts. of central and e Java and Bali

††Warbling White-eye Zosterops japonicus

• Zosterops japonicus japonicus southern Sakhalin Island, Japan, and the southern Korean Peninsula; partially migratory, withdrawing from Sakhalin Island and northern Japan in the nonbreeding season
• Zosterops japonicus stejnegeri Izu Is. (s Japan); introduced to Bonin Is.
• Zosterops japonicus insularis Ryukyu Is. (Tanegashima and Yakushima)
• Zosterops japonicus loochooensis Iriomote (Ryukyu Is.)
• Zosterops japonicus alani Volcano Is. (Iwo Jima and Minami-iwo-Jima)
• *Zosterops japonicus daitoensis Daito Is. (Philippine Sea)
• *Zosterops japonicus obstinatus Moluccas (Ternate, Bacan and Seram)
• *Zosterops japonicus montanus central Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, Sula Is., Buru, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Timor
• Zosterops japonicus difficilis S Sumatra
• *Zosterops japonicus parkesi SW Philippines (Palawan)
• *Zosterops japonicus whiteheadi N Philippines (n Luzon)
• *Zosterops japonicus diuatae S Philippines (n Mindanao)
• *Zosterops japonicus vulcani S Philippines (Mt. Apo and Mt. Katanglad on Mindanao)
• *Zosterops japonicus pectoralis Philippines (n Negros)
• *Zosterops japonicus halconensis Philippines (Mindoro)

††Swinhoe’s White-eye Zosterops simplex

• *Zosterops simplex simplex breeds in eastern China (from extreme southern Gansu east to Jiangsu, south to eastern Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong and Fujian), Taiwan, and northeastern Vietnam; northern populations migratory, wintering from southeastern China to Thailand and central Indochina
• *Zosterops simplex hainanus Hainan (s China)
• *Zosterops simplex williamsoni southern Thailand and east coast of northern and central Thai-Malay Peninsula
• *Zosterops simplex erwini coastal forests of the western and southeastern Thai-Malay Peninsula, of Sumatra, the Riau Islands, Bangka, and the Natuna Islands; population of coastal western Borneo provisionally assigned here, but possibly a distinct taxon
• *Zosterops simplex salvadorii Enggano and Mega islands (off w Sumatra)

Lowland White-eye Zosterops meyeni

• Zosterops meyeni batanis Lüdao (Green) and Lanyu (Orchid) Islands (southeast of Taiwan) and Batan islands (Philippines, north of Luzon)
• Zosterops meyeni meyeni Philippines (Calayan, Luzon, Lubang, Verde, Marinduque, Banton, and Caluya)

Everett’s White-eye Zosterops everetti

• Zosterops everetti everetti Philippines (Cebu)
• Zosterops everetti basilanicus Philippines (Basilan, Dinagat, Mindanao, Siargao, Camiguin Sur)
• Zosterops everetti boholensis Philippines (Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Calicoan and Biliran)
• Zosterops everetti siquijorensis Philippines (Siquijor)
• Zosterops everetti mandibularis Sulu Archipelago (Sulu, Tawitawi, Jolo, Bongao, Sanga Sanga)
• Zosterops everetti babelo Talaud Is. (Karakelong and Salebabu) and n Sulawesi

Ashy-bellied White-eye Zosterops citrinella

• *Zosterops citrinella unicus W Lesser Sundas (Sumbawa and Flores)
• Zosterops citrinella citrinella Lesser Sundas (Timor, Rote, Sawu and Sumba)
• Zosterops citrinella albiventris Tanimbar Is. and islands off n Queensland south to Lizard I.
• Zosterops citrinella harterti Alor (e Lesser Sundas)

Indian/Swinhoe’s White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus/simplex

Hume’s/Swinhoe’s White-eye Zosterops auriventer/simplex

_________________________________________________________

YOUR LIFE LIST’s EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In one more attempt to help this all make sense, or for those who don’t like cooking, below is a chart of how your records may have changed by country:

• If you had reported Japanese White-eye (Z. japonicus) from Russia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, or Hawaii, USA, those records will now show as Warbling White-eye Zosterops japonicus
• If you had reported Japanese White-eye (Z. japonicus) from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, or Thailand, or introduced populations from California, USA* or Singapore, those records will now show as Swinhoe’s White-eye Zosterops simplex [* note – California records from San Diego County from prior to 2006 pertain to Indian White-eye Z. palpebrosus).
• If you had reported Mountain White-eye (Z. montanus) from anywhere, it will now show as Warbling White-eye (Zosterops japonicus)
• If you had reported Oriental White-eye (Z. palpebrosus) from anywhere west of Thailand (e.g., India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh etc.) those will now appear as Indian White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus.
• If you had seen Oriental White-eyes (Z. palpebrosus) in mangrove or coastal habitat in s. Thailand, s. Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, or on Borneo, those will now appear as Swinhoe’s White-eyes Zosterops simplex. Note that these birds have a yellow ventral stripe, while inland, migratory Swinhoe’s do not.
• If you had Oriental White-eye from Java, Sumatra (inland areas, not coastal ones), or Bali, then those are now Sangkar White-eye Zosterops melanurus melanurus
• If you had reported Everett’s White-eye (Z. everetti) from either of two popular parks in Thailand–Khao Yai NP or Kaeng Krachan NP–these will now appear as Hume’s White-eye Zosterops auriventer, as will any others from peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, or Borneo. Please note also that many observers also seem to have reported Oriental White-eye Z. palpebrosus from those areas; it was only recently discovered (in 2004, see the paper here) that subspecies wetmorei was the predominant white-eye in Khao Yai (other than Chestnut-flanked) and no other similar species have been found in either area before or since. Because of this, we have converted all reports of Oriental White-eye to Hume’s White-eye from those areas as well.
• If you had any of the following:
• Any Oriental White-eyes from Sumbawa and Flores in the Lesser Sundas, this would be subspecies unicus, which is now moved to Ashy-bellied White-eye Zosterops citrinella
• Any sightings of Enggano White-eye (Z. salvadorii) then these are now Swinhoe’s White-eye Zosterops simplex.
• Mountain White-eye from Marinduque (Phillippines), then these are subspecies gilli which is now Lowland White-eye Zosterops meyeni