Silver Eye

Maori Name: Tauhou

Zosterops lateralis

The Silver-eye (also called waxeye or tauhou in New Zealand) is part of the family of white eye passerines which are native to Africa, southern Asia, and the south western Pacific. There are many species of white eye within this area; the Silver-eye is one that breeds in Australia, New Zealand and the south-west Pacific islands of Lord Howe, New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, Vanuatu, and Fiji.

Just within Australia itself there are many slight variations of Silver-eye, and so as many as 6 sub-species have been recognised there.

The Silver-eye that has colonised New Zealand is the Tasmanian sub-species lateralis, which every year migrates up the east coast of Australia to Queensland for the winter.

This particular sub-species was first recorded as being seen in New Zealand in 1832. At that time it may have established itself on Stewart Island and in Southland, but it wasn’t until 1856 when a large number appeared and settled all around the country that the Silver-eye became properly established here. It is assumed this came about because a large flock got blown off course as it was flying up the east coast of Australia, but it is also possible that a flock followed a ship as birds sometimes do.

The name Tauhou means little stranger in Maori and this seems to confirm that it is a relatively recent arrival.

The Silver-eye is now settled in New Zealand, breeds here with no need to migrate and is considered widespread and common. In fact it has populated our land so successfully that it is now one of the most common birds to be seen, habituating not only native forest and scrublands from sea level to tree line, but also exotic forests, orchards and suburban gardens.

Its success is probably due to its varied diet, which consists of insects, fruit (berries) and nectar, but Silver-eyes also happily accept food from bird feeders, which gives their numbers a boost when food is scarce.

The fact that it colonised our shores naturally means the Silver-eye is considered a native and is protected. 

Silver-eye pairs stay together all year but will collect in large flocks in autumn and winter. When feeding in flocks, they will often descend upon a tree or shrub and strip it of its berries before moving on. It is likely that these birds have altered natural seed dispersal, and possibly helped some exotic plants and weeds to become more widespread.

From banding studies it has been found that these birds have small local movements in their search for food, and can be seen in the same areas year after year. They also often fly around in flocks at night. 

The Silver-eye is a small bird at 12 centimetres and 13 grams. It is quite conspicuous because of the white rings around its eyes. The head and upperparts are olive green with a dark grey band across the back which extends around the chest in a paler grey. The under parts are an orange brown and there is white under the tail. The beak is slender and tapered and it has a specially adapted ‘brush’ tongue like the tui and bellbird, which aids in lapping nectar.

In flocks the Silver-eye will utter a very excited ‘cli-cli-cli’, whereas by itself it is more a wistful ‘cree’. The song is melodic and uses trills, slurs and warbles. 

In the breeding season the pairs will break away from the flock by late winter and set up their territories. They will raise 2 or 3 broods during the season.

The Silver-eye nest will be built up off the ground usually in the outermost branches of a tree fern, shrub or tree. It is a delicate cup built to hang from the branches and is constructed of fine roots and grasses, fibres, lichen, thistledown, moss and spider webs. The 2 - 5 delicate eggs are of pale blue and will be incubated by both parents for about 11 days. Both parents will share the brooding and feeding. The chicks fledge at about 10 days and will be independent at 3 weeks. Juveniles will pair up and are capable of breeding in their first year.

As silver eyes are both nectar-feeding and frugivorous, they play an important role in the pollination and dispersal of many New Zealand native plant species including the threatened New Zealand mistletoes.