Japanese White Eye

(Zosterops japonica)

The Japanese White-Eye is an energetic little bird of Hawaii and some other regions of the world. It's known for being on the move, hanging upside down from its perches, and being found in other funny positions while foraging for food. They feed on small insects, soft fruits, and nectar. In their homeland of Japan, they were fond of the fruit, Persimmons. The Japanese White-eyes travel in flocks, sometimes seen with between 5 and 20 other birds. A group of Japanese White-eyes are called a “spectacle” or a “ring”. In Japan, the bird is known as Mejiro. Mejiro means “white eye”.

You've guessed it! The White-eye has a white ring around its eyes. It has a green head, neck, and back with wings that are dark brown but also outlined in green. Its throat is yellow and its belly, is white. Its young looks similarly but lacks the distinctive white ring around the eyes. The sexes are also similar, but the female is duller, typical of birds. This small bird is just 4 to 4.5 inches in length from head to tail. As you may have already guessed, the Japanese White-eyes are native to Japan, but the Japanese White-eye prefers to live in the trees and shrubs of Hawaii's forests, rainforests, and even towns. It was introduced to O'ahu in 1929 for the purpose of removing its pesky insects. Unfortunately, this species has become a carrier of an avian parasite that contributes to the decline of the island's native species and now is the island's most populated bird. It's found on all the islands! Since the Japanese White-eye eats a large variety of exotic fruits when available, they disperse their seeds and sometimes this causes invasive species to take over native forests. Some examples of the invasive plants being spread include raspberry and blackberry plants.
Once two Japanese White-eyes mate, the female lays 3-4 white eggs. They are then incubated by both parents for up to 11 days, and they fledge just after 9 or 10 days of hatching. The Japanese White-eye nests are neatly created cups made of any useful materials they can find including plant material, grasses, string, tin foil, leaves, cobwebs, and insect cocoons. The Japanese White-eye strategically builds its nest in the fork of a tree.

This beautiful, small bird is surprisingly aggressive during breeding season when it must protect its mate and young. You rarely find this species dwelling in the same tree as another. Its breeding season is longer than is typical for other bird species. It lasts from February to December and peaks in July and August. It is not atypical of this species to lay 2 or more broods during a breeding season.

When visiting O'ahu, you can see this beautiful bird at the Sheraton Hotel or at the Tantalus Lookout at Pu'u Ualaka's State Park. The Japanese White-eye has a large range, now being found in Asia and even the United States, even though it prefers the climate of the islands. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature ) has evaluated the bird of 'Least Concern' as far as endangerment status is concerned.