Species guide
Silvereye: how to recognise it
A bird of Oceania. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © BIHNZ · CC BY · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Zosterops lateralis
- Family
- White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
- Size
- About 11–13 cm
- Habitat
- Gardens, orchards and woodland
- Found in
- Oceania
The key marks
A small olive-green bird with a white ring around the eye and a pale buff flank.
Voice
A soft, warbling song and a thin “tsee”.
Good to know
It reached New Zealand on its own in the 1850s, blown across the Tasman Sea.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in gardens, orchards and woodland. It is especially common in New Zealand. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.