Cape White-eye
Zosterops virens
The distinctive white ring around their eyes is not bare skin, but is actually composed of tiny, specialized white feathers.
- Scientific name
- Zosterops virens
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Zosteropidae › Zosterops
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Evergreen forests, woodland fringes, thickets, and suburban gardens.
- Diet
- Insects, spiders, nectar, and a variety of small fruits.
- Range
- South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Botswana
- Size
- 12 cm in length; weight approximately 10-15 grams.
- Lifespan
- 5-8 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss and fragmentation, though they are highly adaptable to human-modified landscapes.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These birds are active and social; observe them with binoculars as they forage in trees. They pose no threat to humans, though nesting pairs should be given space to avoid stress.
The Cape white-eye ( Zosterops virens ) is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. It is native to southern Africa.
Photo: 116916927065934112165, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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