Silvereye
SilvereyeSilvereyeSilvereyeSilvereye

Silvereye

Zosterops lateralis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
70–80% · Very likely
overall probability at Aoraki Mount Cook National Park
137 Verified records at Aoraki Mount Cook National Park
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The silvereye or wax-eye (Zosterops lateralis), also known by its Māori name tauhou, is a very small omnivorous passerine bird of the south-west Pacific. In Australia and New Zealand its common name is sometimes white-eye, but this name is more commonly used to refer to all members of the genus Zosterops, or the entire family Zosteropidae. In New Zealand, the silvereye was first recorded in 1832. It arrived in greater numbers in 1856, and it is assumed that a migrating flock was swept eastwards by a storm. As an apparently self-introduced bird it is protected as a native New Zealand species. Its Māori name, tauhou, means "stranger" or more literally, "new arrival". Wikipedia →

70–80% of wildlife watchers report a Silvereye sighting in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, based on 137 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Aoraki Mount Cook National Park

Chaffinch
LC

Chaffinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fringilla coelebs

80–90% · Very likely
Eurasian Blackbird
LC Endemic

Eurasian Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus merula

80–90% · Very likely
Miromiro
LC Endemic

Miromiro

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Petroica macrocephala

70–80% · Very likely
Grey Warbler
LC Endemic

Grey Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gerygone igata

70–80% · Very likely
Dunnock
LC

Dunnock

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Prunella modularis

60–70% · Likely
New Zealand Fantail
LC Endemic

New Zealand Fantail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rhipidura fuliginosa

60–70% · Likely
Song Thrush
LC

Song Thrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus philomelos

50–60% · Likely
New Zealand Bellbird
LC Endemic

New Zealand Bellbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anthornis melanura

50–60% · Likely
European Greenfinch
LC

European Greenfinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chloris chloris

40–50% · Likely
Common Redpoll
LC

Common Redpoll

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Acanthis flammea

40–50% · Likely
Welcome Swallow
LC

Welcome Swallow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hirundo neoxena

40–50% · Possible
Rifleman
LC Endemic

Rifleman

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Acanthisitta chloris

30–40% · Possible

📅 Monthly Probability

80–90
Jan
80–90
Feb
70–80
Mar
80–90
Apr
70–80
May
70–80
Jun
70–80
Jul
50–60
Aug
60–70
Sep
70–80
Oct
60–70
Nov
50–60
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Tongariro National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
70–80%
2 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
70–80%
3 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
60–70%
4 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
60–70%
5 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
6 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
7 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
8 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
9 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
10 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
40–50%
11 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
12 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
30–40%
13 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
14 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
15 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
16 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
17 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
18 Flinders Ranges National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
19 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
20 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
21 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
22 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Silvereye in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park?

About 71% of wildlife watchers report a Silvereye sighting in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, based on 137 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Silvereye in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Silvereye in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park in our monthly data.

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