Silvereye | Tauhou

Silvereye | Tauhou

Silvereye | Tauhou

Good news for silvereyes in gardens - as their numbers have stabilised (see the most recent10-year period), after experiencing moderate to shallow declines since the NZ Garden Bird Survey began.

Good news for Silvereye as their declines (observed since the NZ Garden Bird Survey began) have slowed overall. On the North Island, in particular, this common garden visitor has generally stabilised or increased slightly in numbers in recent 10-year monitoring periods.

Silvereye numbers are twice as high in gardens with feeders, irrespective of whether the garden is in a rural or urban area.

Scientific name: Zosterops lateralis
Other names: blight-bird, karu-patene, pihipihi, potirikai, tauhou, waxeye, whiorangi, white-eye

New Zealand Status: Native (self-introduced)
Conservation Status: Not threatened

Where they feed: Ground, shrubs, trees and in the air
What they eat: Invertebrates, nectar and fruit