White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
Silvereye
Zosterops lateralis
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies (Zosteropidae)
- Order
- Passeriformes
Overview
The silvereye or wax-eye (Zosterops lateralis), also known by its Māori name tauhou, is a very small omnivorous passerine bird of the south-west Pacific. In Australia and New Zealand its common name is sometimes white-eye, but this name is more commonly used to refer to all members of the genus Zosterops, or the entire family Zosteropidae.
In New Zealand, the silvereye was first recorded in 1832. It arrived in greater numbers in 1856, and it is assumed that a migrating flock was swept eastwards by a storm.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Continents
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Silvereye
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
