The Sri Lanka white-eye 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.
Region
Sri Lanka
Typical Environment
Primarily occupies montane and submontane forests, forest edges, gardens, and tea plantations in the central highlands. It favors dense foliage and shrub layers where it can glean insects and visit flowers. The species adapts well to human-modified landscapes with sufficient tree cover and flowering shrubs. Occasional movements into foothill habitat occur when resources shift, but it remains largely tied to cooler upland zones.
Altitude Range
600–2500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The Sri Lanka white-eye is endemic to Sri Lanka’s highlands, where it often replaces the Indian white-eye found at lower elevations. It travels in chattering flocks that actively glean insects and sip nectar, making it an effective pollinator and seed disperser. Its bold white eye-ring is a hallmark of the white-eye family and aids quick field identification.
Comparison with Indian white-eye (above)
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in small, vocal flocks that move methodically through foliage. Pairs build neat cup-shaped nests suspended in shrubs or small trees, and both sexes share incubation and chick rearing. Frequently joins mixed-species flocks in suitable habitat.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A bright, high-pitched series of thin twitters and trills, often delivered in rapid, cheerful sequences. Contact calls are sharp, metallic tsee notes that keep flocks coordinated.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with a yellowish throat and vent, contrasting with a greyish-white belly. Feathers are smooth and tidy, giving a sleek, compact look typical of white-eyes.
Diet
Feeds on small insects, caterpillars, and spiders gleaned from leaves and twigs. Also takes nectar from blossoms and consumes soft fruits and berries. In gardens and plantations, it visits flowering shrubs and occasionally probes for honeydew or sap.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the mid-canopy and shrub layer of montane forests, edges, and well-vegetated gardens. Often exploits flowering trees and tea estate shade plantings where insects and nectar are abundant.
