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Warbling white-eye

Warbling white-eye

Zosterops japonicus
Bird
The warbling white-eye (Zosterops japonicus), also called the Japanese white-eye, is a small olive-green passerine of the family Zosteropidae, distinguished by its conspicuous white orbital ring. Native to East Asia — Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Russian Far East — it is omnivorous, feeding on nectar, fruit, and insects at all foliage levels. It serves as the primary documented pollinator of Camellia japonica in Japan, visiting the flowers in winter when insect pollinators are scarce and transferring pollen between trees. Introduced populations established on the Hawaiian Islands since 1929 are now the most abundant land birds there, where the species is considered invasive.
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN; native populations are secure, but introduced populations on the Hawaiian Islands are invasive and are now the most abundant land birds there.
Plants in the catalog
Plants this species pollinates · 1
Camellia
Camellia japonica
Documented
The primary documented avian pollinator of Camellia japonica in Japan, visiting winter blooms when insects are scarce and carrying pollen between trees.
Range
Native across East Asia including Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Russian Far East; northern populations are migratory, wintering in Southeast Asia (Burma, Thailand, Vietnam) and on Hainan Island. Introduced to Hawaii beginning in 1929, now established on all main Hawaiian islands.

Sources & citations

Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife page. The source cards below show the upstream references behind the taxonomy, range, conservation, host, forage, and habitat claims.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Warbling white-eye (Zosterops japonicus). Retrieved 2026, June 30, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/warbling-white-eye
Sources for wildlife facts
7 cited fact fields are backed by the source cards below.
Warbling white-eye — Wikipedia
Identification, the East-Asian native range and Hawaiian introduction, Least Concern status, the omnivorous diet, and the camellia pollination.
Backs 5 fields
Taxonomy
Range
Conservation status
Lifecycle
Foraging
Camellia japonica — Wikipedia
Names Zosterops japonicus as the winter pollinator of Camellia japonica in Japan.
Backs 2 fields
Host plants
Foraging