Photo: Papier K / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Green-backed White-eye
Zosterops xanthochroa
Green-backed White-eye (Zosterops xanthochroa) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
The Green-backed White-eye (Zosterops xanthochroa) is a member of the Zosteropidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 10.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Zosteropidae White-eyes
- Genus Zosterops
- Species xanthochroa
Where it lives
New Caledonia, including Grande Terre and Ile des Pins, and Mare (eastern Loyalty Is., New Caledonia)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 10.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Zosteropidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Green-backed White-eye is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Green-backed White-eye is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green-backed White-eye (Zosterops xanthochroa) belongs to the Zosteropidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Caledonia, including Grande Terre and Ile des Pins, and Mare (e Loyalty Is., New Caledonia).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 10.3 g, with a wing length of about 6 cm and a tail of around 4.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 17,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green-backed White-eye?
The Green-backed White-eye is a very small bird that weighs around 10.3 g.
Where does the Green-backed White-eye live?
The Green-backed White-eye is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU New Caledonia, including Grande Terre and Ile des Pins, and Mare (e Loyalty Is., New Caledonia), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Green-backed White-eye belong to?
The Green-backed White-eye (Zosterops xanthochroa) belongs to the Zosteropidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Green-backed White-eye eat?
The Green-backed White-eye is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Green-backed White-eye migrate?
The Green-backed White-eye is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green-backed White-eye endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Green-backed White-eye make?
1 real field recording of the Green-backed White-eye — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Green-backed White-eye's range?
The Green-backed White-eye has a mapped global range of about 17,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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