19/11/2025
Creature Feature!
The silvereye or wax-eye/ tauhou (Zosterops lateralis) is a small, agile native bird seen throughout the Waimakariri district and across the motu. It is easily recognised by the white ring around its eye and its olive-green upperparts.
The silvereye was first observed in New Zealand in 1832 and, as there is no indication it was brought here by people, it is recognised as a native species. Its Māori name, tauhou, refers to a “stranger” or “new arrival.”
Tauhou have a varied diet, feeding on insects, fruit, nectar and berries. They often travel in small flocks, especially outside the breeding season, moving rapidly through vegetation in search of food.
Breeding usually begins in late winter or early spring. Pairs build a small, neat cup-shaped nest suspended in shrubs or small trees, using fine grasses, hair and spider webs. Clutches typically contain 2–4 eggs, and both parents share incubation and chick-feeding duties. Multiple broods are common when conditions are favourable.
These birds adapt well to a range of habitats, including gardens, shelterbelts, regenerating shrublands and forest edges. Providing year-round native food sources such as kōwhai, coprosmas and other berrying or flowering natives helps maintain populations. Keeping cats indoors at night and supporting predator control efforts also improves nesting success.
Photo credit: Shona Gillespie, taken at Northbrook Wetland
