Kingdom Animalia Order Passeriformes Scientific name Zosterops rendovae Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Genus Zosterops Higher classification Lesser white-eyes | |
Family Zosteropidae (disputed) Similar Yellow‑throated white‑eye, Plain white‑eye, Fiji white‑eye, Christmas white‑eye, Green‑backed white‑eye | ||
The grey-throated white-eye (Zosterops rendovae) is a species of bird. Its family, the Zosteropidae, is probably not valid and belongs in the Timaliidae instead. It is also known as Zosterops ugiensis because Z. rendovae has often been used for the Solomons white-eye (Z. kulambangrae).
It is found on Guadalcanal and Makira Islands in the Solomon Islands and on Bougainville Island, geographically part of the Solomons but belonging to Papua New Guinea. Each island has its own subspecies: Z. r. rendovae on Makira, Z. r. oblitus on Guadalcanal and Z. r. hamlini on Bougainville. It inhabits primary forest, mainly at 900–2000 m above sea-level but small numbers occur at lower levels.
It is a small bird, 12–13 cm long. It is fairly dark green above with a brownish tail, a variable dark brown area between the eye and bill and a narrow white ring around the eye. The underparts are dark grey apart from the green chin, pale centre to the belly and yellow undertail-coverts. The bill is blackish with a pale base to the lower mandible.