Description Also called Mejiro this small bird is easily distinguished by the silky white circles around each eye. Only 4- 4.5' long and weighing under 12.75 grams the body color ranges from olive to dusky green feathers while the underside of its chin, tail and belly are yellow white. The throat area is yellow with a gray stripe. Its feet, legs and long slightly curved beak are black.

Breeding Usually in noisy flocks, these birds tend to stay to themselves while nesting and become territorial. Mating begins once the birds are one year old with a long breeding season from February to December. They establish pair bonds, which means after they have found a mate they stay together for life. . A nest resembling a woven basket is built of grass, string, leaves, mosses, and cobwebs. It is attached to the fork in a branch in which 2-5 pale blue eggs are laid. After 11 days the eggs hatch and parental responsibilities are shared by both the male and female.

Habitat The Japanese White-Eye is highly adaptable bird. It was introduced to the island of Oahu in 1929 and then in 1937 to the island of Hawaii. Today it is the most abundant bird on all he Hawaiian Islands. In its natural setting it can be seen in flocks of 5 to 20 in the foliage of trees and shrubs. They can be found from sea level to the rainforests.

Diet Feeding on bugs ranging from beetles to spiders they also likes fruits such as persimmon, papayas, avocados, and the berries of the Chinese Banyan. The Japanese white-eye also likes nectar. It also serves as a great cross pollinator because of its active search for food from tree to tree.

Behavior The most abundant song bird in the islands the Japanese White-Eye can be heard from a great distance. They are always on the move which makes them appear to be a nervous bird. Although they search for food in flocks they will sleep alone on a tree branch.