tauhou - silvereye
I spy with my little (wax)eye, a beautiful bird named silvereye.
Photo: Tania Wilkinson
tauhou - silvereye / waxeye
Zosterops lateralis
New Zealand Status: Native
Conservation Status: Not threatened
Lifespan: 9 years
Size: 12cm (just smaller than a sparrow)
Weight: 13g
Predation by introduced mammals and also kārearea / NZ falcon.
Is it a silvereye?
Look for: Their biggest giveaway is their white eye ring. Their plumage is olive-green, a similar colour palette to korimako/bellbird. They are however about half the size.
Listen for: Tauhou are known to move in a flock so if you can hear multiple birds performing long trills and warbles then it may well be a group of silvereyes.
Did you know?
Tauhou translates as stranger. These manu arrived on European sailboats and so were given the name by Maori for whom the bird was a new sight.
Tauhou @ Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
Tauhou were surviving on Maungatautari, in the presence of introduced pests, before the completion of the fence in 2006. They are most likely to be seen on the fringes of the Southern Enclosure or around the Visitor Centre.