04 July 2016

Abyssinian White-eye – Tanoumah

Whilst birding in the southwest I came across a number of Abyssinian White-eyes, firstly at the top of the Raydah Escarpment in Abha and then at Tanoumah. We trapped and ringed five birds and took biometrics as well as blood samples and photographs. Shown below are some of the photos. Z. a. abyssinicus occurs from northeast Sudan, through Eritrea and north & central Ethiopia. Z. a. arabs occurs in southwest Saudi Arabia, Yemen and southern Oman. Z. a. socotranus occurs in north Somalia and Socotra Island. Z. a. omoensis occurs in western Ethiopia, Z. a. jubaensis in southern Ethiopia, northern Kenya and southern Somalia and Z. a. flavilateralis in eastern, central and southern Kenya south to northeast and eastern Tanzania. Nominate race Zosterops abyssinicus abyssinicus has a yellow supraloral stripe extending to yellow area above bill, narrow blackish-brown line from lores to below narrow white eyering. The cheek flecked yellow; forehead to upperparts pale greyish-green, yellower on uppertail-coverts. The chin to throat and centre of upper breast pale yellow, lower breast and sides pale grey, belly and thighs greyish-white, undertail-coverts pale yellow. The iris is light red-brown to brown; bill horn-brown above, pinkish-brown below; legs brown or flesh-coloured. Sexes alike. The race occurring in Saudi Arabia Z. a. arabs is like nominate, but with fairly dark greyish-green upperparts.
Abyssinian White-eye

Abyssinian White-eye

Abyssinian White-eye

Abyssinian White-eye

Abyssinian White-eye

Abyssinian White-eye

Abyssinian White-eye