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 (Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006). 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.

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
 * Black-ringed White-eye, 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
 * Biak White-eye, Zosterops mysorensis
 * Buru Yellow White-eye, Zosterops buruensis
 * Ambon Yellow White-eye, Zosterops kuehni
 * Papuan White-eye, 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)

 * Marianne White-eye, 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-eye (F)

 * Mount Cameroon Speirops, Zosterops melanocephalus
 * Kilimanjaro White-eye, Zosterops eurycricotus

Southern African white-eyes (E2)

 * Yellow-ringed White-eye, "Zosterops" wallacei
 * Christmas White-eye, Zosterops natalis
 * Canary White-eye, Zosterops luteus
 * Ashy-bellied White-eye, Zosterops citrinella (formerly citrinellus)
 * Pale-bellied White-eye, Zosterops consobrinorum
 * "Sunda White-eye", Zosterops melanurus
 * Enggano White-eye, Zosterops salvadorii
 * Gizo White-eye, Zosterops luteirostris
 * Ranongga White-eye, Zosterops splendidus
 * Solomon Islands White-eye, Zosterops kulambangrae
 * Silvereye, Zosterops lateralis
 * Slender-billed White-eye, Zosterops tenuirostris
 * Robust White-eye, Zosterops strenuus (formerly strenua; extinct: c.1918)
 * White-chested White-eye, Zosterops albogularis
 * Large Lifou White-eye, Zosterops inornatus
 * Rennell White-eye, Zosterops rennellianus
 * Louisiade White-eye, Zosterops griseotinctus
 * Kolombangara White-eye, Zosterops murphyi
 * Yellow-throated White-eye, Zosterops metcalfii
 * Malaita White-eye, Zosterops stresemanni
 * Santa Cruz White-eye, Zosterops santaecrucis
 * Vanikoro White-eye Zosterops gibbsi (described in 2008)
 * "Bougainville White-eye", Zosterops hamlini
 * Belted White-eye, Zosterops vellalavella
 * Bismarck White-eye, Zosterops hypoxanthus
 * Capped White-eye, Zosterops fuscicapilla (formerly fuscicapillus)
 * Samoan White-eye, Zosterops samoensis
 * Bare-eyed White-eye, Zosterops superciliosus
 * Sanford's White-eye, Zosterops lacertosus
 * Fiji White-eye, Zosterops explorator
 * Vanuatu White-eye, Zosterops flavifrons
 * Small Lifou White-eye, Zosterops minutus
 * Green-backed White-eye, Zosterops xanthochroa (formerly xanthochrous)
 * Grey-throated White-eye, Zosterops rendovae
 * Lord Howe Silvereye, Zosterops (lateralis) tephropleurus (formerly tephropleurus)
 * 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
 * Grey-brown White-eye, Zosterops cinereus
 * Olive-coloured White-eye, Zosterops oleagineus (sometimes placed in Rukia, as R. oleaginea)
 * Mountain Blackeye, Zosterops emiliae
 * Rota White-eye, Zosterops rotensis (formerly in conspicillatus)
 * Mountain White-eye, Zosterops montanus
 * 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
 * Yellowish White-eye, Zosterops nigrorum
 * Abyssinian White-eye, Zosterops abyssinicus
 * Mbulu White-eye, Zosterops mbuluensis
 * Fernando Po Speirops, Zosterops brunneus
 * Forest White-eye, Zosterops stenocricotus
 * African Yellow White-eye, Zosterops senegalensis
 * Pemba White-eye, Zosterops vaughani
 * Montane (Broad-ringed) White-eye, Zosterops poliogastrus (formerly poliogaster)
 * Kulal White-eye, Zosterops (poliogastrus) kulalensis
 * Kikuyu White-eye, Zosterops kikuyuensis
 * Principe White-eye, Zosterops ficedulinus
 * Annobon White-eye, Zosterops griseovirescens
 * Sao Tome White-eye, Zosterops feae
 * Principe Speirops, Zosterops leucophaeus
 * Black-capped Speirops, Zosterops lugubris
 * Kenya White-eye, Zosterops flavilateralis
 * Seychelles White-eye, Zosterops modestus
 * Anjouan White-eye, Zosterops anjuanensis
 * Madagascar White-eye, Zosterops maderaspatanus
 * Chestnut-sided White-eye, Zosterops mayottensis
 * Kirk's White-eye, Zosterops kirki
 * Taita White-eye, Zosterops silvanus
 * South Pare White-eye, Zosterops winifredae
 * Nyasa White-eye, Zosterops stierlingi
 * Cape White-eye, Zosterops capensis
 * Orange River White-eye, Zosterops pallidus
 * Wangi Wangi White-eye Zosterops sp. (discovered in 2003)