Mascarene White-eye

Mascarene White-eye ( Réunion )

The Mascarene White-eye ( Zosterops borbonicus ) is a species of bird in the family of white-eyes. It occurs on Mauritius and Réunion.

System

Originally, the breeds of Réunion and Mauritius as a distinct species Zosterops borbonica and Zosterops mauritianus have been described. Today is Zosterops borbonicus borbonicus ( Réunion ) as nominate and Zosterops borbonicus mauritianus ( Mauritius ) considered conspecific.

Description

The nominate of Réunion reaches a length of 10 centimeters. The top is gray-brown. Front and back of the head are gray. The upper tail-coverts are off-white. The underside is dirty gray. Chin, belly center, rump, under tail-coverts and under wing-coverts are whitish. The flanks are rusty brown, the leg sides are rust brown dark. Beak and feet are almost black. The breed Z. b. mauritianus reached a length of 9 centimeters. When her bottom is colored for several schmutziggrauweiß. Chin, throat and under tail-coverts are more white than in Z. b. borbonicus. The flanks show a weak brownish blurring. Both breeds have a distinctive white ring on the maroon iris.

Habitat and behavior

Of the endemic birds of the Mascarene Islands, the Mascarene White-eye has best adapted to human-induced changes to the landscape. It inhabits woodlands, forests and gardens. Its food consists of insects, fruits and nectar. In Réunion, he is pollinator for orchid species such as Angraecum striatum and Mauritius, he is one of the Hauptbestäubern the Trochetia flowers. In search of food moving in small groups of six to twenty individuals. His voice is very loud. The breeding season is in the southern summer. The nest consists of two to four pale blue eggs. The napfenförmige nest is lined with plant material.