Cape white-eyes frequently communicate vocally, and are known for their noisy gatherings. They produce loud contact calls which which include descending musical notes. Often these calls are described mnemonically as “tirri-you, tirri-you, tirri-you” or “ti-you, ti-you, ti-you." Only male Cape white-eyes sing. These songs mostly imitate those of other birds in the area. Cape white-eyes also use beak clapping and quivering wings to intimidate other birds and communicate rank in the dominance hierarchy. Adults also allopreen offspring or mates to strengthen bonds. Like all birds, Cape white-eyes perceive their environment through visual, tactile, auditory and chemical stimuli.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic
Other Communication Modes: mimicry
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Cape white-eyes are not threatened, however other species of white-eyes are at risk. Many species who maintain residency on small isolated islands are suffering from habitat loss, introduction of new predators, and frequent severe storms. The IUCN Red List states that Cape white-eyes are of least concern, but recent population declines may qualify the species for re-evaluation in the future.
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Though Cape white-eyes do not have any real known adverse effects on humans they do create a problem in one area. Cape white-eyes tend to be a nuisance in vineyards and orchards in Southern Africa and Australia due to their large numbers and consumption of fruit.
Negative Impacts: crop pest
Cape white-eyes are very vocal songbirds, and as a result are often caged and kept as pets by humans. Cape white-eyes also consume a lot of aphids and other pests that are mostly found around farms and gardening plants. This ecosystem function aids in the preservation of crops and gardens allowing humans to produce healthier vegetation.
Positive Impacts: pet trade ; controls pest population
Cape white-eyes serve as prey to larger predators such as cuckoo hawks (Aviceda cuculoides), common fiscals (Lanios collaris) and fork-tailed dronges (Dicrurus adsimilis). Domestic cats also greatly reduce the numbers of Cape white-eyes. Cape white-eyes prey upon a variety of insects, fruits, nectar and seeds. As they consume seeds and nectar, these birds are likely important pollinators and seed dispersers for local plant species. Cape white-eyes also participate in a behavior known as 'anting'. The birds allow ants to crawl within their feathers and feed on bacteria. This is considered a mutualistic partnership in that the ants are provided with food and Cape white-eyes do not eat those that have been on their feathers.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds; pollinates
Mutualist Species:
Cape white-eyes are known to eat insects, fruit, nectar, and seeds. Insects in which they prey upon include: insect larvae, flies, grasshoppers, millipedes, spiders and beetles. An important staple of these birds' diets are aphids due to easy digestion and nutritional value. They consume nectar from Australian bottle brushes (Calistemon rigidus) and other plants by using their specialized, brush-tipped tongue. Cape white-eyes also consume seeds and have recently become frequent feeder birds.
Animal Foods: insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods
Plant Foods: seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit; nectar
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )
Cape white-eyes (Zosterops pallidus) maintain the highest dispersal capabilities of all passerines. Although they occur mainly in South African savannas and suburban gardens they are found throughout the old-world tropic, which includes: Africa, Asia and Australia. Waves of immigration have occurred within the Southwest Indian Ocean islands such as: the Mascarenes, Comoros, Seychelles and Aldabras.
There are six subspecies that vary mainly in geographical location. (Z. p. virens) inhabits South-western Mozambique to Eastern Cape Province. (Z. p. caniviridis) ranges from Eastern Botswana to North-West Province and Limpopo Province. (Z. p. atmorii) dwells from inland Eastern Cape to Free State Province and Lesotho. (Z. p. capensis) inhabits Western Cape Province. (Z. p. pallidus) ranges from Southern Namibia to North-West Province and Northern Cape Province. (Z. p. sundevalli) dwells in Southern parts of Northern Cape Province.
Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Native ); ethiopian (Native ); australian (Introduced ); indian ocean (Native )
Cape white-eyes are distributed throughout many different climatic regions from South Africa to islands throughout the Southwest Indian Ocean. They prefer semi-arid regions with diverse patches of vegetation such as suburban gardens, evergreen forests, and scrub forests. The annual rainfall within these semi-arid regions fluctuates around 550 mm with a minimum temperature in winter of -4 ˚C. They are found at elevations of up to 9,600 m.
Range elevation: sea level to 9600 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; scrub forest
Other Habitat Features: suburban
Cape white-eyes are expected to live an average of 8 years in the wild. Captive birds are expected to live 10 years. This short lifespan likely correlates with rapid reproduction rates.
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 9.2 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 7.8 years.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 10 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 8 years.
Cape white-eyes are small passerines that measure up to 12 cm in length and weigh about 9.15 g. These birds have rounded wings with a wingspan of 7 cm. Cape white-eyes' plumage is greenish yellow on the upper portions of the body with a gray upper back while the throat is a bright yellow. Their belly is usually a peach color and the most distinguishing feature is the white ring around their eyes. They go through no seasonal plumage color change. These birds feature black, short decurved beaks which aid in gathering nectar. The legs are either gray to brown or pink depending on age. Older birds and fledglings maintain a pinkish shade while first-years have grayish-brown coloration. Cape white-eyes are sexually monomorphic.
Some subspecies exhibit plumage differences, mainly in coloration of breast and belly. (Z. p. virens) and (Z. p. caniviridis) have a greenish-yellow breast and belly while (Z. p. atmorii) and (Z. p. capensis) have a gray coloration. (Z. p. pallidus) and (Z. p. sundevalli) feature a pale yellow belly with peach-colored flanks.
Average mass: 9.15 g.
Average length: 12 cm.
Average wingspan: 7 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Cape white-eyes have been known to be preyed upon by cuckoo hawks (Aviceda cuculoides), common fiscals (Lanios collaris) and fork-tailed dronges (Dicrurus adsimilis). Domestic cats are also predators of Cape white-eyes. Some anti-predator adaptations that they have acquired include camouflage, vocalizations and flock advantages. The greenery of their plumage allows them to blend in easily with their habitat and when danger is near warning calls are given.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
Mate selection and breeding activity of Cape white-eyes is not well known due to few observations. When breeding season begins in November or December, males perform elaborately loud songs for about twenty minutes after daybreak and late in the evening. Their warbles are similar across different subspecies and they may also perform a softer warble in order to coax the female. Both sexes also produce a long-drawn plaintive call followed by shorter calls. While these calls are being performed, an aerial show of horizontal wing quivering and nest building motions are also being exhibited by the males. Cape white-eyes form life-long monogamous pairs, and may form pairs as early as one month old.
Mating System: monogamous
Their breeding season can last for six months and usually occurs from September to December. Both males and females help construct a cup-shaped nest over a period of 5 to 9 days. The nest is constructed of old man’s beard (Usnea barbata), dry grasses, rootlets, and other such vegetation which is all held together by spider webs. Within this nest 2 to 4 pale blue eggs will be laid. Cape white-eyes have one of the shortest incubation periods of any birds which ranges from 11 to 12 days. Hatchlings initially weigh 2 g. It is also important to note that both females and males brood and feed the young. Once the chicks hatch they leave the nest after an estimated 12 to 13 days and stay close by during fledgling which lasts about three weeks. During these three weeks the parents continue to feed the fledglings fruit. While the fledglings are preparing to depart, a second clutch will usually be procured at a different nest site.
Breeding interval: An older pair of Cape white-eyes may lay as many as five clutches during a breeding season where a first year pair may not breed at all.
Breeding season: The breeding season takes place between September and December.
Range eggs per season: 2 to 4.
Range time to hatching: 10 to 12 days.
Average time to hatching: 11 to 12 days.
Average fledging age: 12 to 13 days.
Average time to independence: 5 weeks.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 months.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); parthenogenic ; sexual ; fertilization ; oviparous
Cape white-eyes put quite a bit of investment into taking care of their young. Both males and females participate in constructing a cup nest. The chicks are born altricial and helpless, and rely on both parents to brood, feed, and protect them. Both parents engage in attentive allopreening of the young and each other. When the young hatch the parents must find insects and later on fruit in order to feed them. A breeding pair will often begin a second clutch while still tending to the fledglings of the first.
Parental Investment: altricial ; male parental care ; female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); post-independence association with parents
The Orange River white-eye (Zosterops pallidus) is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae, which is native to Namibia and South Africa. It was formerly deemed conspecific with the Cape white-eye (Zosterops virens), but the two species occur sympatrically in central South Africa, and they are genetically distinct.[2]
Four subspecies have been proposed based on plumage colour and size differences:[2]
It occurs at highest densities in the catchment areas of the Orange and Vaal Rivers, where it is locally very common. It is also present at more isolated locations in the Nama Karoo, Namaqualand, Namib, Namibian escarpment, uplands of Damaraland, and mopane-veld in the far north. In dry regions it associates with vegetation fringing periodically dry streambeds.[1] No extensive movements have been recorded.[2]
Forages in native and introduced willows (Salix spp.), currant-rhus (Searsia spp.), thorn trees (Acacia) and reeds (Phragmites). Commonly found in gardens, parks and plantations where it frequents any available vegetation.[2]
The sexes are alike and measure 10-13 cm from bill to tail tip. It has pale olive green upper part plumage, a yellow throat and supraloral stripe, and a tawny buff tone to the flanks and sides of breast, which is regionally diagnostic.[2] The lore plumage and bare parts are black. The juvenile plumage is a pale version of the adult's, and the white eye-rings appear during the second month.[2]
They glean insects from foliage and tree bark, but also take small fruit, including dry Searsia berries.[2] Outside the breeding season they move about in small foraging parties. Individuals loosely follow the trail of a leading bird, and they have been noticed to mix with non-breeding Cape white-eyes. The usual song is subdued and muted except when excited,[2] but a sustained warbling song is heard in the breeding season.
They breed during the summer months. Breeding information is very incomplete,[2] but a clutch of three pale blue eggs has been recorded.[2] Dry pliable plant material is used in building the deep cup nest, which is slung between horizontal twigs and strengthened with cobweb.[3]
-2338_-_Flickr_-_Ragnhild_%26_Neil_Crawford.jpg)
Perched on a Phragmitis reed near Aussenkehr, lower Orange River
Near Aussenkehr on the lower Orange River
The Orange River white-eye (Zosterops pallidus) is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae, which is native to Namibia and South Africa. It was formerly deemed conspecific with the Cape white-eye (Zosterops virens), but the two species occur sympatrically in central South Africa, and they are genetically distinct.
