Zosterops ceylonensis
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
The Sri Lanka white-eye (Zosterops ceylonensis) is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family, which is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is a resident breeder in forests, gardens and plantations, mainly in the highlands. A study showed that it is not sister to the other Sri Lankan species, the Indian White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus), and it also suggested that it is the root species which gave rise to all white-eyes on Earth. This raises further questions on white-eye origins.
This bird is slightly larger than the Indian white-eye (about 11 cm long) which it replaces above 4000 ft. The upper parts of the body and sides of neck are dark olive-green. The rump appears paler green while the crown and forehead appear darker. The wings and tail are brown edged with green on the back. The typical ring of tiny white feathers around the eye is present. The lores are dark and there is a dark streak below the eye. The chin, throat and upper breast are greenish-yellow as are the thighs and vent. The belly region is greyish white. The dark bill has a slaty base to the lower mandible. The legs are dark. The iris is yellow to reddish-brown.
This species can be distinguished... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horton Plains National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
Very likely
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Sri Lanka White-eye sighting in Horton Plains National Park on a given day, based on 686 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 102 birds we can rate there.
August–September and November–December
In those months over 90% of wildlife watchers report a Sri Lanka White-eye in Horton Plains National Park on a given day, against about 80% in April and June–July, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sri Lanka White-eye sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Sri Lanka White-eye sightings, Horton Plains National Park has the highest daily chance: about 90%. Next come Sinharaja Forest Reserve (Sri Lanka, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sri Lanka White-eye is recorded against all the birds logged in Horton Plains National Park (686 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
