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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 |
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See Silvereye
at Wikipedia |
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Photos |
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here .
Race "lateralis"
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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"
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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"
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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"
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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".
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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"
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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".
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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".
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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]
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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.
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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]
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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]
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Communal | Mobility: Migratory/dispersive | Elementary unit: Small flock |
Some Silvereye TLC;
allopreening
is part of a bonding ritual
[Eulah Creek, NSW, Mary 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]
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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 an
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 blossoms
of a low shrub
called Urn Heath (Melichrus urceolatus)
[Terry Hie Hie, NSW, June 2013]
Silvereyes ("cornwalli" or "westernensis") feeding on the blossoms
of a grass tree
[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, race "cornwalli", with facial injuries picking
psyllids/lerps
off the underside of
eucalypt
leaves
[Near Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2019]
Silvereye "westernensis" that has picked up a parasite
(psyllid?)
from a twig
[Bullawa Creek SCA,
NSW, June 2012]
Silvereye "cornwalli" 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 "chloronotus" 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]
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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_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
.