The white-chested white-eye also known as white-breasted white-eye or Norfolk white-eye was a passerine from the family Zosteropidae. It was endemic to Norfolk Island between New Caledonia and New Zealand and was regarded as either extremely rare or possibly extinct. Since 2000 the Australian government has considered the species extinct.
Region
Southwest Pacific
Typical Environment
Historically restricted to native subtropical forests and shrubby thickets on Norfolk Island. It used dense foliage for foraging and nesting, favoring areas with flowering trees and fruiting shrubs. Edges of forest and regenerating patches were also used when available. Degradation and fragmentation of these habitats, combined with invasive predators, contributed to its disappearance.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 300 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Norfolk white-eye, this small passerine was confined to Norfolk Island in the southwest Pacific. It likely declined due to habitat loss, predation by introduced mammals, and competition with the more adaptable silvereye. The species was notoriously elusive in later years and is considered extinct by Australian authorities. Like other white-eyes, it foraged actively in foliage for insects, nectar, and small fruits.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually observed in pairs or small parties, moving quickly through foliage while gleaning. Built small cup nests in shrubs or trees, with both adults likely sharing parental duties. Breeding was seasonal, aligned with periods of high insect and nectar availability.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A thin, high-pitched series of tinkling notes and brief trills. Contact calls were soft chips used to keep group cohesion in dense foliage.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with a clean white throat, chest, and upper belly, contrasting with olive flanks. Feathers are sleek and smooth, typical of canopy gleaners, with a neat, compact appearance.
Diet
Took small insects and larvae by gleaning leaves and twigs, and also consumed spiders. Supplemented its diet with nectar from blossoms and small soft fruits when available. Foraging was rapid and methodical, often moving through mixed-species flocks with other small birds.
Preferred Environment
Fed primarily in the mid to upper canopy of native forest, but also used forest edges and gardens with flowering shrubs. Flowering trees such as those with abundant nectar were especially important.
