Japanese White-eye
Zosterops japonicus

f6.7 @ 1/2500s, ISO:1250, Nikon D3S w 500mm and 1.7X teleconverter

\"Japanese White-eye,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The Japanese white-eye, also known as the mejiro, is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. The Japanese white-eye is olive green on its back, from anterior to posterior, and is pale green on its underside. Its feet, legs, and bill range from black to brown. It has a green forehead and a yellow throat. The white-eye has rounded wings and a long, slender bill – both of which indicate this bird to be very acrobatic. Its wings are dark brown, but outlined in green. Like other white-eyes, this species exhibits the distinctive white eyering that gives it its name. Adults range from 4 to 4.5 inches in length, and weigh between 9.75 and 12.75 grams. Along with a number of other organisms, the Japanese white-eye has become an invasive species in Hawaii. Its native range includes much of east Asia, including Japan, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Introduced to Hawaii in 1929 as a means of insect control, it has since become a common bird on the Hawaiian islands, and has become a vector for avian parasites that are now known to adversely affect populations of native birds such as Hawaiian honeycreepers, as well as spreading invasive plant species through discarded seeds.

Maui, Hawaii

07/28/2016