(Zosterops Lateralis)

Length:  11 cm Common

The Silvereye is more common in the south east of Australia. The Silvereye is a small bird with a conspicuous ring of white feathers around the eyes and belongs to a group of birds known as “White Eyes”. The colour of the Western Australian variety is yellowish olive back rather than a grey back.

The Silvereye lives in any wooded habitat. Although, it moves north each autumn and back South in late winter to breed. It feeds on insects, prey and large amounts of fruit and nectar. Birds are seen alone, in pairs or small flocks during the breeding season but form large flocks in the winter months.

The nest is a small nearly woven cup of fine grasses, hair and other fine vegetation and bound with spider webs. It is suspended in the horizontal fork of a tree or bush some 5 metres above the ground. The nest is constructed by both sexes, who also incubate the bluish green eggs. There are usually 2 to 3 eggs at one time.

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