The Kai Kecil white-eye, also known as the golden-bellied white-eye, is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is native to the Kai Islands in Indonesia.
Region
Maluku Islands
Typical Environment
Occurs on the Kai (Kei) Islands, with strong association to Kai Kecil and nearby islets. It inhabits lowland tropical moist forest, forest edge, and secondary growth. The species also uses coastal woodland, scrub, village gardens, and plantations where flowering and fruiting trees are present. It is most frequently seen in the mid to upper canopy but will descend to shrubs when feeding.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 300 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the golden-bellied white-eye, this small passerine is confined to the Kai (Kei) Islands of Indonesia, especially Kai Kecil. It is an active canopy forager that often travels in small, chattering flocks. Like many white-eyes, it adapts well to secondary habitats and edges, which can buffer it somewhat from habitat change.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Often forms small, noisy flocks outside the breeding season and joins mixed-species foraging parties. Breeding pairs build a small cup nest suspended in shrubs or trees. They are attentive parents, with both adults typically involved in feeding the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A thin, high-pitched series of tinkling notes and rapid warbles, delivered in short bursts. Contact calls are soft chips and twitters used to keep flock cohesion. Males may sing more persistently from mid-canopy perches during the breeding period.
Plumage
Compact white-eye with olive-green upperparts and a bright golden-yellow belly and throat. The underparts may grade to paler yellow or whitish on the vent, with subtle grayish flanks. Feathers are sleek and close-fitting, giving a neat appearance.
Diet
Feeds on small insects, larvae, and spiders gleaned from foliage and twigs. Also takes soft fruits and berries and laps nectar from flowering trees and shrubs. Foraging is quick and methodical, often involving hover-gleaning at leaf tips and blossoms. It may exploit flowering coconut, Erythrina, and other ornamental or native trees in villages.
Preferred Environment
Primarily forages in the mid to upper canopy of lowland forest and at edges. Readily uses secondary vegetation, coastal scrub, and gardens with fruiting or flowering plants. Frequently joins mixed flocks to exploit ephemeral food sources.
