Zosterops

Zosterops is a genus of birds containing the typical white-eyes. They are traditionally placed in the white-eye family, Zosteropidae, which may actually be a part of the Timaliidae, however. The latest comprehensive review of Australian bird taxonomy by Christidis and Boles also places this genus in the Timaliidae.

This genus has the highest number of species among the white-eyes by far. They occur in the Afrotropic ecoregion, the Indomalaya zone, and the Australasia ecozone. Typical white-eyes can reach a length between 8 and 15 cm. Their most characteristic feature is the conspicuous white-feather ring around the eye, though some species lack it. The species in this group vary in the structural adaptations of the tongue.

Systematics
A review of new DNA sequence data (Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006) suggests that the genus might not be monophyletic. Few species have been researched however, with the highest density of sampled taxa being from Micronesia. There, it appears, a more distinct eastern lineage and a western one closer to East Asian species occur. The relationships of the former to the Rukia white-eyes need investigation.

Sources:

Blue means uncertain placement, while Red means extinct.

East Indian Clade

 * Javan White-eye, Zosterops flavus
 * Lemon-bellied White-eye, Zosterops chloris
 * Pearl-bellied White-eye, Zosterops grayi
 * Golden-bellied White-eye, Zosterops uropygialis
 * , Zosterops anomalus
 * Cream-throated White-eye, Zosterops atriceps
 * Black-crowned White-eye, Zosterops atrifrons
 * Sulawesi Black-crowned White-eye, Zosterops (atrifrons) subatrifrons
 * Togian White-eye, Zosterops somadikartai
 * Sangihe White-eye, Zosterops nehrkorni
 * Seram White-eye, Zosterops stalkeri
 * Black-fronted White-eye, Zosterops minor
 * Tagula White-eye, Zosterops meeki
 * , Zosterops mysorensis
 * , Zosterops kuehni
 * , Zosterops novaeguineae
 * , Zosterops novaeguineae

Oriental white-eyes

 * Japanese White-eye, Zosterops japonicus
 * Borodino Islands White-Eye, Zosterops japonicus daitoensis
 * Lowland White-eye, Zosterops meyeni
 * Oriental White-eye, Zosterops palpebrosus
 * Sri Lanka White-eye, Zosterops ceylonensis

Ancient Indian Ocean white-eyes (A)

 * , Zosterops semiflavus (extinct: late 19th century)
 * Karthala White-eye, Zosterops mouroniensis
 * Reunion Olive White-eye, Zosterops olivaceus
 * Mauritius Olive White-eye, Zosterops chloronothos
 * Reunion Grey White-eye, Zosterops borbonicus
 * Mauritius Grey White-eye, Zosterops mauritianus

Socotra White-eye (B)

 * Socotra White-eye, Zosterops socotranus

Middle African white-eyes (F)

 * Mount Cameroon Speirops, Zosterops melanocephalus
 * Kilimanjaro White-eye, Zosterops eurycricotus
 * Albertine White-eye, Zosterops stuhlmanni
 * Fernando Po Speirops, Zosterops brunneus
 * Forest White-eye, Zosterops stenocricotus
 * Kikuyu White-eye, Zosterops kikuyuensis
 * Montane (Broad-ringed) White-eye, Zosterops poliogastrus (formerly poliogaster)
 * Kulal White-eye, Zosterops (poliogastrus) kulalensis
 * Pemba White-eye, Zosterops vaughani
 * Northern Yellow White-eye, Zosterops senegalensis

Abyssinian White-eye (D)

 * Abyssinian White-eye, Zosterops abyssinicus

Gulf of Guinea white-eyes (C)

 * Principe White-eye, Zosterops ficedulinus
 * Sao Tome White-eye, Zosterops feae
 * Annobon White-eye, Zosterops griseovirescens
 * Principe Speirops, Zosterops leucophaeus
 * Black-capped Speirops, Zosterops lugubris

Southern African white-eyes (E2)

 * Kenya White-eye, Zosterops flavilateralis
 * Mbulu White-eye, Zosterops mbuluensis

East African white-eyes (E1)

 * Taita White-eye, Zosterops silvanus
 * Orange River White-eye, Zosterops pallidus
 * South Pare White-eye, Zosterops winifredae
 * Southern Yellow White-eye, Zosterops anderssoni
 * Nyasa White-eye, Zosterops (anderssoni) stierlingi
 * Cape White-eye, Zosterops capensis

Recent Indian Ocean white-eyes (E3)

 * Seychelles White-eye, Zosterops modestus
 * Anjouan White-eye, Zosterops anjuanensis
 * Aldabra White-eye, Zosterops aldabrensis
 * Kirk's White-eye, Zosterops kirki
 * Malagasy White-eye, Zosterops maderaspatanus
 * Moheli White-eye, Zosterops comorensis
 * Mayotte White-eye, Zosterops mayottensis

East Asian/Oceanic white-eyes

 * Yellowish White-eye, Zosterops nigrorum
 * Chestnut-flanked White-eye, Zosterops erythropleurus
 * Plain White-eye, Zosterops hypolais
 * Black-capped White-eye, Zosterops atricapilla (formerly atricapillus)
 * Everett's White-eye, Zosterops everetti
 * Mountain Blackeye, Zosterops emiliae
 * Rota White-eye, Zosterops rotensis (formerly in conspicillatus)
 * Mountain White-eye, Zosterops montanus

West Australian white-eyes

 * , Zosterops natalis
 * Canary White-eye, Zosterops luteus
 * Ashy-bellied White-eye, Zosterops citrinella (formerly citrinellus)
 * Pale-bellied White-eye, Zosterops consobrinorum
 * Wangi Wangi White-eye Zosterops sp. (discovered in 2003)
 * "Sunda White-eye", Zosterops melanurus
 * Enggano White-eye, Zosterops salvadorii

East Australian white-eyes

 * Gizo White-eye, Zosterops luteirostris
 * Ranongga White-eye, Zosterops splendidus
 * Solomons White-eye, Zosterops kulambangrae
 * Dark-eyed White-eye, Zosterops tetiparius
 * Silvereye, Zosterops lateralis
 * Lord Howe Silvereye, Zosterops (lateralis) tephropleurus (formerly tephropleurus)
 * Slender-billed White-eye, Zosterops tenuirostris
 * , Zosterops strenuus (formerly strenua; extinct: c.1918)
 * , Zosterops albogularis, extinct: c.2000)
 * Louisiade White-eye, Zosterops griseotinctus
 * Kolombangara White-eye, Zosterops murphyi
 * Rennell White-eye, Zosterops rennellianus
 * Green-backed White-eye, Zosterops xanthochroa (formerly xanthochrous)
 * Large Lifou White-eye, Zosterops inornatus
 * Small Lifou White-eye, Zosterops minutus

Micronesia/Melanesian white-eyes

 * Yellow-throated White-eye, Zosterops metcalfii
 * Malaita White-eye, Zosterops stresemanni
 * , Zosterops santaecrucis
 * , Zosterops gibbsi (described in 2008)
 * "Bougainville White-eye", Zosterops hamlini
 * Vella Lavella White-eye, Zosterops vellalavella
 * Bismarck White-eye, Zosterops hypoxanthus
 * Capped White-eye, Zosterops fuscicapilla (formerly fuscicapillus)
 * , Zosterops samoensis
 * Bare-eyed White-eye, Zosterops superciliosus
 * Sanford's White-eye, Zosterops lacertosus
 * Fiji White-eye, Zosterops explorator
 * Vanuatu White-eye, Zosterops flavifrons
 * Grey-throated White-eye, Zosterops rendovae
 * Bridled White-eye, Zosterops conspicillatus (possibly poly- or paraphyletic)
 * Guam Bridled White-eye, Zosterops (conspicillatus) conspicillatus (extinct: 1983)
 * Citrine White-eye, Zosterops semperi
 * Dusky White-eye, Zosterops finschii
 * Olive-coloured White-eye, Zosterops oleagineus (sometimes placed in Rukia, as R. oleaginea)
 * Grey-brown White-eye, Zosterops ponapensis
 * Kosrae White-eye, Zosterops cinereus

Moved to Heleia

 * Yellow-ringed White-eye, Heleia wallacei (formerly "Zosterops" wallacei)