The Javan heleia, also known as the Javan grey-throated white-eye, grey-throated ibon, Javan heleia or Mees's white-eye, is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to Java and Bali.
Region
Sunda Islands, Indonesia
Typical Environment
Occurs primarily in submontane and montane forests on Java and Bali, using both primary forest and well-vegetated secondary growth. It favors forest edges, clearings with dense shrubs, and bamboo thickets, and readily forages along ridgelines and in ravines. The species also visits plantations and gardens near forest, especially where flowering trees and fruiting shrubs are present.
Altitude Range
300–2500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called the Javan grey-throated white-eye or Mees's white-eye, this small passerine belongs to the white-eye family Zosteropidae. It is confined to the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali, where it frequents forested highlands and adjacent secondary growth. Like many white-eyes, it often joins mixed-species flocks and can be quite confiding at forest edges.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Often travels in small, chattering flocks and frequently joins mixed-species foraging parties with other canopy and midstory insectivores. Pairs form during the breeding season and build a small, neat cup nest suspended in shrubs or slender branches. They are attentive parents, with both adults involved in feeding the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of high, thin twitters and trills delivered in quick bursts, interspersed with soft contact notes. The song is persistent at dawn and during active foraging, and the calls maintain cohesion within moving flocks.
