26 |
![]() |
SilvereyeAlternate name(s): "Grey-backed Silvereye", "Blight-bird", "Sivve", "Silvey", "Grinnell", "Tauhou", "Waxeye", "White-eye*", "Grape-eater*"; Race "chloronotus": "Grey-breasted White-eye" ![]() Size: 11-13 cm Weight: 9-15 g |
![]() |
Similar |
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
See Silvereye
at Wikipedia |
||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Photos |
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
Race "lateralis"
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of an adult Silvereye; note the pinkish-rufous flanks
that characterise race "lateralis"
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, August 2011]
Frontal/ventral view of a roosting Silvereye (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Cook, SA, June 2016]
Lateral view of a Silvereye
[Terry Hie Hie, NSW, June 2013]
Lateral view of a Silvereye
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Wellington, Hobart, TAS, April 2021]
Close-up near-dorsal/ventral view of a Silvereye
[Terry Hie Hie, NSW, June 2013]
Race "cornwalli"
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a Silvereye, race "cornwalli"
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
"Head on" view of a Silvereye
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, January 2019]
Frontal view of a Silvereye on the ground
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, January 2019]
Near-frontal view of a Silvereye
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, May 2012]
Near-lateral view of a Silvereye looking at the observer
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]
Near-lateral view of a Silvereye taking something from an
Acacia salicina
flower
[Eulah Creek, NSW, April 2023]
Lateral view of a Silvereye
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2012]
Lateral view of a Silvereye
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, September 2022]
Lateral view of a Silvereye
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, June 2012]
Lateral view of a Silvereye
(photo courtesy of R. Druce)
Dorsal view of a Silvereye, race "cornwalli"
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, June 2012]
Lateral/ventral view of a Silvereye calling
[November 2011]
Ventral view of a Silvereye, race "cornwalli"; this is the bird whose
calls were
recorded on 14 September 2015
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, September 2015]
Near-frontal view of a Silvereye, race "cornwalli" with
facial injuries
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2019]
View onto the back of a Silvereye, race "cornwalli" with
facial injuries
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2019]
Race "westernensis"
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Near-frontal view of a Silvereye studying the photographer
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2015]
Silvereye "westernensis" trying to dislodge parasites (psyllids?) from a twig
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, June 2012]
Near-lateral view of a Silvereye "westernensis"
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, June 2012]
Lateral view of a Silvereye "westernensis" (photo courtesy of
I. Duncan)
[South West Rocks, NSW, April 2011]
Lateral view of a soaking wet Silvereye ("westernensis"?) just
out of the bird bath
[Coonabarabran, NSW, October 2015]
Race "pinarochrous"
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a Silvereye in the first light of a new day
[Near Hawker, SA, March 2008]
Near-lateral view of a Silvereye (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[American River, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]
Lateral view of a Silvereye
[Near Hawker, SA, March 2008]
Two Silvereyes taking advantage of a crack in a water storage
tank to get a drink
[Near Hawker, SA, March 2008]
Red-browed Finches
and Silvereyes taking a bath together (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
Race "chlorocephalus"
This race is also called the "Capricornian Silvereye".
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
"Head-on" Silvereye (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lady Musgrave Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, September 2017]
Near-frontal view of a Silvereye (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lady Musgrave Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, September 2017]
Near-frontal view of a Silvereye (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]
Near-lateral view of a Silvereye (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]
Lateral view of a Silvereye (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lady Musgrave Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, September 2017]
Lateral view of a Silvereye (photo courtesy of H. Mouritsen)
[One Tree Island, Capricornia Cays NP, QLD, January 2011]
Dorsal view of a Silvereye (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lady Musgrave Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, September 2017]
Race "vegetus"
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Near-frontal view of a Silvereye, race "vegetus"
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Atherton Tablelands, QLD, May 2022]
Lateral view of a Silvereye, race "vegetus"
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Rocky Creek, Cairns, QLD, July 2013]
Race "chloronotus"
This race is also called the "Grey-breasted White-eye".
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a Silvereye
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Mt. Duckworth, WA, December 2016]
Near-frontal view of a Silvereye taking an insect
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Albany, WA, January 2015]
Near-frontal view of a Silvereye after a run-in with a window pane
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[City Beach, Perth, WA, June 2022]
Near-lateral view of a Silvereye
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Albany, WA, January 2015]
Near-lateral view of a Silvereye after a run-in with a window pane
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[City Beach, Perth, WA, June 2022]
Lateral view of a Silvereye
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, October 2022]
Lateral view of a Silvereye after a run-in with a window pane
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[City Beach, Perth, WA, June 2022]
Near-dorsal view of a Silvereye in dense shrubbery
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Mundaring, 35 km East of Perth, WA, December 2014]
Dead Silvereye that has fallen prey to an
Australian Hobby
(photo courtesy of D. Dyer)
[Cervantes, WA, November 2018]
Race "tephropleurus"
This race is also known as the "Lord Howe Silvereye", "Lord Howe White-eye", "Lord Howe Island White-eye" or "Little Grinnell".
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Lateral view of a Silvereye, race "tephropleurus"
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lord Howe Island, November 2014]
Lateral view of a Silvereye, race "tephropleurus"
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lord Howe Island, November 2014]
![]() |
Breeding information |
Breeding season: Sep - Jan | Eggs: 3 - 4 | Incubation period: 10 days | Fledging age: ca. 12? days |
Note that Silvereyes have a very short incubation period.
Nest building: Female & male | Incubation: Female & male | Dependent care: Female & male |
While the male marks his territory, the female takes on the full load of caring for the offspring, from start to finish.
![]() |
Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Suspended basket | Material: Dry grass | Height above ground: 1-? m |
A pair of Silvereyes, race "cornwalli", was
found by us to be nesting near the top of this shrub
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2015]
Silvereye sitting on its nest incubating
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, January 2016]
![]() |
Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 18 x 13 mm | Colour: Light-blue | Shape: Tapered oval |
View from above into the nest of a pair of Silvereyes, race
"cornwalli",
with three eggs in it
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, January 2016]
![]() |
Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Migratory/dispersive | Elementary unit: Small flock |
Some Silvereye TLC;
allopreening
is part of a bonding ritual
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2018]
While waiting for the disturbance to clear out, the owners of the
nest have some time for a bit of Silvereye TLC; this type of
behaviour is part of a bonding ritual
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2015]
We have observed Silvereyes in groups from about 10 birds, up to flocks of about 250. Different races can be mixed in one flock.
Silvereye at the very top of a dead tree; this bird was communicating
with its mates in other, nearby trees by exchange of contact calls while
perched, before the whole group moved on
[Near Narrabri, NSW, October 2014]
We have found Silvereyes in a variety of
habitats and
plants, in this
case in coastal
banksia
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, March 2015]
This Silvereye was found in
reeds
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, September 2022]
![]() |
Food, Diet |
Silvereyes have been observed by us feeding on the flowers of grass trees and eucalypts. As shown below, they clearly also take insects and small fruit.
Silvereye taking nectar from a
eucalypt tree
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, November 2017]
Silvereye feeding on the blossoms of
Urn Heath
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, May 2013]
Silvereye ("lateralis") feeding on the nectar of
Urn Heath
[Terry Hie Hie, NSW, June 2013]
Silvereyes ("cornwalli" or "westernensis") feeding on the nectar
of a Grasstree
[Watagans NP,
NSW, June 2009]
Near-frontal view of a Silvereye taking nectar from a flower
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lady Musgrave Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, September 2017]
Near-frontal view of a Silvereye taking nectar from a flower
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lady Musgrave Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, September 2017]
Silvereye taking a native elderberry, Sambucus australasica
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[St. Albans, NSW, January 2019]
Silvereye taking the fruit of a native shrub
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2023]
Silvereye with facial injuries picking
psyllids/lerps
off the underside of
eucalypt
leaves
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2019]
Silvereye that has picked up a parasite
(psyllid?)
from a twig
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, June 2012]
Silvereye having a go at parasites
(psyllids?);
note how hard it must be to dislodge the animals, because their
foothold is strong enough for the bird to get a strong grip to
steady itself on them in turn
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, June 2012]
Silvereye with its prey, a comparatively huge caterpillar
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Balingup, WA, May 2016]
Silvereye prying open a cavity under the bark of a
Cypress pine
to get to a spider
[Killarney SCA,
NSW, September 2022]
Silvereye having a drink of water; this is one of the birds whose
calls were
recorded on 11 December 2019
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, December 2019]
Silvereyes approaching a waterhole
[Mt. Kaputar NP,
NSW, October 2013]
Lateral view of Silvereyes (and a
Yellow-faced Honeyeater)
approaching a waterhole at the break of dawn
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, October 2023]
![]() |
Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
slvreye_20191211.m4a |
cornwalli (NW NSW) |
Contact calls | © MD | |
slvreye_20191211_2.m4a |
cornwalli (NW NSW) |
Thirsty? Begging calls? | © MD | |
slvreye_20160920.m4a |
cornwalli (NE NSW) |
? (in rain) | © MD | |
slvreye_cp_20231105.m4a |
chloronotus (SW WA) |
Contact calls | © CP | |
slvreye_20150905.m4a |
[unknown] (NW NSW) |
Territorial calls? | © MD | |
slvreye_20220521.m4a |
[unknown] (NW NSW) |
Large flock feeding | © MD | |
slvreye_20200805.m4a |
[unknown] (NW NSW) |
Various | © MD | |
slvreye_20220517.m4a |
[unknown] (NW NSW) |
Various | © MD |
More Silvereye sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.