Belongs within: Yuhina.
Zosterops contains the typical white-eyes, a diverse group of small birds found in Africa, Asia and Australasia. Zosterops species possess slender pointed bills, generally green upperparts and pale greyish underparts, and usually a ring of small white feathers around each eye.
Species boundaries within the genus have often been contentious, with authors differing on whether closely related allopatric forms should be treated as separate species. This is partly due to a lack of strong morphological differentiation between many species, but there are exceptions. For instance, four species from the Gulf of Guinea in Africa have been classified as a separate genus Speirops due to their lack of the green and yellow coloration of other species, but phylogenetically they are nested within Zosterops. Also previously separated was the mountain blackeye Chlorocharis emiliae of Borneo which is mostly olive-green in coloration with a prominent black ring around the eye. Woodfordia has been recognised for two dumpy brown species with long bills from the Solomon Islands.
<==Zosterops Vigors & Horsfield 1827 [incl. Nesozosterops Mathews 1912]CC10
|--+--Z. nigrorumBKB15
| `--Z. poliogastrusBKB15
`--+--+--+--Z. japonicusBKB15
| | | |--Z. j. japonicusVP89
| | | `--Z. j. simplexVP89
| | `--Z. montanusBKB15
| `--+--Z. atricapillaBKB15
| `--+--Z. abyssinicusBKB15
| `--Z. erythropleurus Swinh. 1863BKB15, M01
`--+--+--+--Chlorocharis emiliaeBKB15
| | |--+--Z. atrifronsBKB15
| | | `--Z. chlorisBKB15
| | `--+--Z. borbonicusBKB15 [=Certhia borbonicaS66]
| | `--Z. olivaceusBKB15
| `--+--+--Z. palpebrosusBKB15
| | `--+--Z. mouroniensisBKB15
| | `--Z. semiflavusBKB15
| `--+--Z. mayottensisJT12
| `--+--+--Z. lugubrisBKB15 [=Speirops lugubrisJT12]
| | `--+--Z. kikuyuensisBKB15
| | `--+--Z. brunneusBKB15 [=Speirops brunneusJT12]
| | `--Z. melanocephalusBKB15 [=Speirops melanocephalusJT12]
| `--+--+--*Z. maderaspatanusCC10, BKB15 [=Motacilla maderaspatanaCC10]
| | `--Z. modestusBKB15
| `--+--Z. senegalensisBKB15
| `--+--Z. pallidus Swainson 1837BKB15, ICZN96 (see below for synonymy)
| `--Z. virensBKB15
`--+--+--Z. citrinellaBKB15
| | |--Z. c. citrinellaM03
| | `--Z. c. albiventrisM03
| `--+--Z. luteus Gould 1843BKB15, WS48 [=Z. luteaWS48]
| | |--Z. l. luteus [incl. Z. lutea hecla Mathews 1912, Z. lutea tribulationis Mathews 1912]WS48
| | `--Z. l. balstoni Ogilvie-Grant 1909 (see below for synonymy)WS48
| `--+--Z. metcalfiBKB15
| `--Z. stresemanniBKB15
`--+--+--+--Z. cinereusBKB15
| | `--Z. vellalavellaBKB15
| `--+--Z. ugiensisBKB15
| `--+--+--Z. flavifronsBKB15
| | `--WoodfordiaBKB15
| | |--W. lacertosaJT12
| | `--W. superciliosaBKB15
| `--+--Z. fuscicapillaBKB15
| `--+--Z. oleagineusBKB15 [=Rukia oleagineaMF09]
| `--RukiaMF09
| |--R. longirostraJT12
| |--R. rukiJT12
| `--R. sanfordiFP64
`--+--+--Z. luteirostrisBKB15
| `--+--Z. rendovaeBKB15
| | |--Z. r. rendovaeMF09
| | `--Z. r. tetepariusMF09
| `--+--Z. kulambangraeBKB15
| `--Z. splendidusBKB15
`--+--Z. lateralis (Latham 1802)BKB15, CC10 [=Sylvia lateralisCC10]
| |--Z. l. lateralis (see below for synonymy)CC10
| |--Z. l. chlorocephalusM03
| |--Z. l. cornwalli [incl. Z. familiaris]M03
| |--Z. l. griseonotaS13
| |--Z. l. melanops Gray 1859S13
| |--Z. l. nigrescens Sarasin 1913S13
| |--Z. l. ochrochrousM03
| |--Z. l. pinarochrous [incl. Z. halmaturina]M03
| `--Z. l. vegetus [incl. Z. ramsayi]M03
`--+--+--Z. conspicillatusJT12
| `--Z. saypaniJF06
`--+--+--Z. griseotinctusBKB15
| `--Z. murphyiBKB15
`--+--Z. inornatusBKB15
`--Z. rennellianusBKB15
Zosterops incertae sedis:
Z. albogularis Gould 1837 [=Nesozosterops albogularis, Z. albigularis, Z. gularis (l. c.)]CC10
Z. anomalusJT12
Z. atricepsJT12
Z. auriventerS89
Z. australasiae (Vieillot 1817) (see below for synonymy)WS48
Z. buruensisJT12
Z. ceylonensisJT12
Z. chloronothosAP21
Z. chloronotus Gould 1840JT12, WS48 [=Z. lateralis chloronotusM03; incl. Z. lateralis gouldiS90, M03]
Z. consobrinorumJT12
Z. curvirostrisG68
Z. everettiJT12
Z. exploratorJT12
Z. feaeAP21
Z. ficedulinus Hartlaub in Dohrn 1866JT12, D66 [=Z. ficedulinaD66]
Z. finschiiJT12
Z. flavifronsJT12
Z. flavusJT12
Z. gibbsiJT12
Z. grayiJT12
Z. griseovirescensJT12
Z. hesitataG68
Z. hypolaisJT12
Z. hypoxanthusJT12
Z. kirkiAP21
Z. kuehniJT12
Z. leucophaeusAP21 [=Speirops leucophoeusJT12]
Z. madagascariensisS66
Z. mauritianusAP21
Z. meekiJT12
Z. mesoxantha Salvadori 1889S89
Z. meyeniJT12
Z. minorJT12
|--Z. m. minorH03
`--Z. m. tenuifronsH03
Z. minutusJT12
Z. mysorensisJT12
Z. natalis Lister 1889JG19
Z. nehrkorniJT12
Z. novaeguineaeJT12
Z. ponapensisAP21
Z. rotensisBKB15
Z. salvadoriiJT12
Z. samoensisJT12
Z. sanctaecrucisJT12
Z. semperiJT12
Z. silvanusAP21
Z. somadikartaiAP21
Z. stalkeriJT12
Z. stenocricotusAP21
Z. strenuus Gould 1855CC10 [=Z. strenuaF02, *Nesozosterops strenuusCC10, Z. tenuirostris strenuusM03]
Z. tenuirostris Gould 1837 [=Nesozosterops tenuirostris]CC10
Z. tephropleuraS13 [=Z. lateralis tephropleurusM03]
Z. tetipariusAP21
Z. uropygialisJT12
Z. vaughaniJT12
Z. wallaceiAP21
Z. westernensisS13 [=Z. lateralis westernensisM03]
Z. xanthochroaJT12
Zosterops australasiae (Vieillot 1817) [=Sylvia australasiae; incl. Z. australasiae edwini Mathews 1923, Z. shortridgii Ogilvie-Grant 1909, Z. gouldi warreni Mathews 1916]WS48
Zosterops lateralis lateralis (Latham 1802) [incl. Z. dorsalis Vigors & Horsfield 1827, Z. lateralis norfolkensis Mathews 1929, Z. lateralis tasmanica Mathews 1912, Z. halmaturina tasmanica]CC10
Zosterops luteus balstoni Ogilvie-Grant 1909 [incl. Z. lutea headlandi Mathews 1923, Z. lutea montebelloensis Ashby 1925]WS48
Zosterops pallidus Swainson 1837BKB15, ICZN96 [=Z. pallidaICZN96; incl. Motacilla tcheric Wilkes 1817 (nom. rej.)ICZN96]
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[AP21] Arlott, N., & B. van Perlo. 2021. Collins Birds of the World. William Collins.
[BKB15] Burleigh, J. G., R. T. Kimball & E. L. Braun. 2015. Building the avian tree of life using a large-scale, sparse supermatrix. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 84: 53–63.
[CC10] Checklist Committee (OSNZ). 2010. Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica 4th ed. Ornithological Society of New Zealand and Te Papa Press: Wellington.
[D66] Dohrn, H. 1866. Synopsis of the birds of Ilha do Principe, with some remarks on their habits and descriptions of new species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 324–332.
[FP64] Fisher, J., & R. T. Peterson. 1964. The World of Birds: A comprehensive guide to general ornithology. Macdonald: London.
[F02] Fuller, E. 2002. Foreword. Extinct birds. In: Hoyo, J. del, A. Elliott & J. Sargatal (eds) Handbook of the Birds of the World vol. 7. Jacamars to Woodpeckers pp. 11–68. Lynx Edicions: Barcelona.
[G68] Grant, P. R. 1968. Bill size, body size, and the ecological adaptations of bird species to competitive situations on islands. Systematic Zoology 17 (3): 319–333.
[H03] Heads, M. 2003. Ericaceae in Malesia: vicariance biogeography, terrane tectonics and ecology. Telopea 10 (1): 311–449.
[ICZN96] ICZN. 1996. Nine specific names of southern Afrotropical birds conserved. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 53: 292–294.
[JG19] James, D. J., P. T. Green, W. F. Humphreys & J. C. Z. Woinarski. 2019. Endemic species of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Records of the Western Australian Museum 34 (2): 55–114.
[JT12] Jetz, W., G. H. Thomas, J. B. Joy, K. Hartmann & A. Ø. Mooers. 2012. The global diversity of birds in space and time. Nature 491: 444–448.
[JF06] Jønsson, K. A., & J. Fjeldså. 2006. A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds. Zoologica Scripta 35: 149–186.
[M01] Madarász, J. 1901. Madarak [Vögel]. In: Horváth, G. (ed.) Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazása [Dritte Asiatische Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] vol. 2. Zichy Jenő Gróf Harmadik Ázsiai Utazásának Állattani Eredményei [Zoologische Ergebnisse der Dritten Asiatischen Forschungsreise des Grafen Eugen Zichy] pp. 21–39. Victor Hornyánszky: Budapest, and Karl W. Hierseman: Leipzig.
[M03] Morcombe, M. 2003. Field Guide to Australian Birds 2nd ed. Steve Parish Publishing.
[MF09] Moyle, R. G., C. E. Filardi, C. E. Smith & J. Diamond. 2009. Explosive Pleistocene diversification and hemispheric expansion of a “great speciator”. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 1006 (6): 1863–1868.
[S89] Salvadori, T. 1889. Viaggio di Leonardo Fea nella Birmania e nelle regioni vicine. XIX.—Uccelli raccolti nei Monti Carin a nord-est di Tounghoo, nel Pegù presso Rangoon e Tounghoo e nel Tenasserim presso Malewoon. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, Serie 2a, 7: 369–438.
[S13] Sarasin, F. 1913. Die Vögel Neu-Caledoniens und der Loyalty-Inseln. In: Sarasin, F., & J. Roux (eds) Nova Caledonia: Forschungen in Neu-Caledonian und auf den Loyalty-Inseln. A. Zoologie vol. 1 pt 1 pp. 1–78, pls 1–3. C. W. Kreidels Verlag: Wiesbaden.
[S66] Schlegel, H. 1866. Communication from, on mammals and birds collected in Madagascar. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 419–426.
[S90] Storr, G. M. 1990. Birds of Shark Bay area, Western Australia. In: Berry, P. F., S. D. Bradshaw & B. R. Wilson (eds) Research in Shark Bay: Report of the France-Australe Bicentenary Expedition Committee pp. 299–311. Western Australian Museum.
[VP89] Viney, C., & K. Phillipps. 1989. Birds of Hong Kong 5th ed. Government Printer: Hong Kong.
[WS48] Whittell, H. M., & D. L. Serventy. 1948. A systematic list of the birds of Western Australia. Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery of Western Australia, Special Publication 1: 1–126.