Zosterops minor
Nominate race has forehead, crown and ear-coverts to upperparts bright yellowish-green, uppertail-coverts slightly more yellow; very narrow white eyering (almost lacking); chin and throat to upper breast orange-yellow, remainder of underparts grayish-white, undetail-coverts yellow; iris chestnut-brown to grey-brown; vill blackish; legs bluish-grey. Differs from Z. novaeguineae in generally brighter coloration, mich narrower white eyering. Sexes alike. Juvenile apparently undescribed. Races differ mainly in coloration of head and prominence of eyering, nominate being brightest and almost lacking eyering, other three having black forehead and broad eyering: chrysolaemus has greener upperparts than nominate, and very conspicuous greenish edges on tail feathers; gregarius is more yellow and duller on back, with narrower eyering than previous and slightly more orangeish-yellow on throat, thus approaching nominate; delicatulus has whole forehead, loral line and area under eye black, very broad white eyering, greener bach than chrysolaemus, distinctly less orange throat (closely resembles race sulaensis of Z atrifons).
Not Threatened
Nominate race has forehead, crown and ear-coverts to upperparts bright yellowish-green, uppertail-coverts slightly more yellow; very narrow white eyering (almost lacking); chin and throat to upper breast orange-yellow, remainder of underparts grayish-white, undetail-coverts yellow; iris chestnut-brown to grey-brown; vill blackish; legs bluish-grey. Differs from Z. novaeguineae in generally brighter coloration, mich narrower white eyering. Sexes alike. Juvenile apparently undescribed. Races differ mainly in coloration of head and prominence of eyering, nominate being brightest and almost lacking eyering, other three having black forehead and broad eyering: chrysolaemus has greener upperparts than nominate, and very conspicuous greenish edges on tail feathers; gregarius is more yellow and duller on back, with narrower eyering than previous and slightly more orangeish-yellow on throat, thus approaching nominate; delicatulus has whole forehead, loral line and area under eye black, very broad white eyering, greener bach than chrysolaemus, distinctly less orange throat (closely resembles race sulaensis of Z atrifons).
11 cm; 10.3-11.6 g
Taxonomy: Zosterops albiventer minor A. B. Meyer, 1874, Yapen Island, New Guinea. Forms a superspecies with Z. atriceps, Z. atrifrons, Z. somadikartai, Z. nehrkorni, Z. stalkeri, Z. meeki and Z. hypoxanthus. Sometimes considered conspecific with Z. atrifrons, Z. meeki and Z. hypoxanthus. Distinctive nominate race possibly represents a separate species from other three races; review desirable. Proposed race rothschildi (described from Gebroeders Mts, in Weyland Range), attributed to birds from Weyland Mts in W part of species’ range and Adelbert Mts in NE, better treated as hybrid or intergrade between nominate race and chrysolaemus; tenuifrons (from Wau, in Morobe District of E New Guinea) is synonymized with chrysolaemus; and pallidogularis (from Fergusson I, in D’Entrecasteaux Is) is considered indistinguishable from delicatulus. Four subspecies currently recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * minor A. B. Meyer, 1874 - Yapen I, and N watershed of mainland New Guinea (Cyclops Mts, Weyland Mts and Nassau Mts) E to Sepik Mts and Adelbert Mts. * chrysolaemus Salvadori, 1876 - mountains of Vogelkop (Tamrau Mts, Arfak Mts, Farfak Mts), S watershed of New Guinea, and Herzog Mts E to Hydrographer Range. * gregarius Mayr, 1933 - NE New Guinea (Huon Peninsula). * delicatulus Sharpe, 1882 - S slopes of mountains of SE New Guinea (E to Milne Bay), and D’Entrecasteaux Is (Goodenough I, Fergusson I).
Hill forest and edges and second growth, locally town gardens (Wau); between 150 m and 1460 m but mainly above 400 m. In mainland New Guinea occurs almost exclusively on the mountains: on Yapen I, where no forested hills above 1500 m, found in mid-montane area. In parts of E New Guinea overlaps broadly in altitudinal range with ecologically very similar though more montane Z. novaeguineae.
Insects and fruits; latter include berries and arillate fruits, of various figs. Schefflera, Polyscias lidermanii, Elmerrillia tsiampaca, Xylopia papuana; nectar taken from Rhus taitensis, and sometimes from flowering Evodia trees. In single-species flocks, also in mixed flocks with e.g. Old World warblers; sometimes found in same flock as Z novaeguineae. Frequents canopy, where it forages amid foliage and visits flowering and fruiting trees. Obtains food by gleaning.
“Breeding individuals” in Oct and Nov, and laying females in E Huon Peninusula in late Dec and early Jan. No other information.