LC
Wakatobi White-eye Zosterops flavissimus



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note
Previously (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) included with Z. chloris as Z. c. flavissimus. It is yellower and brighter than other forms of Z. chloris, with a golden- or orange-tinged forehead and a wider eye-ring (Eaton et al. 2016). Using morphometric, acoustic and genetic analyses, O’Connell et al. (2019) established that flavissimus, when compared to nominate chloris from adjacent islands in Sulawesi, is also rather smaller, has a higher maximum frequency in its song, and has been separated for considerably longer (0.4?0.8 mya, longer than some accepted species of Zosterops). Monotypic.

Taxonomic source(s)
Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International. 2022. Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 7. Available at: https://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v7_Dec22.zip.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2022 Least Concern
2016 Not Recognised
2012 Not Recognised
2008 Not Recognised
2004 Not Recognised
2000 Not Recognised
1994 Not Recognised
1988 Not Recognised
Species attributes

Migratory status not a migrant Forest dependency does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 1,750 km2
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident) 792 km2
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown - - -
Population trend stable - suspected -
Generation length 2.47 years - - -
Number of subpopulations 1-7 - - -

Population justification: The population size has not been quantified. However, despite having a small range covering just 435 km2, it is described as abundant by O'Connell et al. (2020), who found more than half of birds mist-netted were the present species.

Trend justification: In the absence of any threats currently enacting on the species thought capable of causing declines, the population is suspected of being stable.


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Indonesia extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Forest Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland major resident
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Moist major resident
Altitude 0 - 275 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Wakatobi White-eye Zosterops flavissimus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/wakatobi-white-eye-zosterops-flavissimus on 05/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 05/12/2024.