This is the fourth post in my series exploring the species featured in my
2024 calendar, Wildlife of East Otago.
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Since this photograph has such autumnal vibes, I have chosen it for Aprilās calendar image. I was waiting for a korimako (bellbird) to return to the bird feeder Iād put up, when I noticed movement out the corner of my eye. Two tauhou (silvereyes) were playing in our Lady in Red apple tree and I thought their antics were worth capturing.
The common MÄori name for this bird, tauhou, translates to āstrangerā or ānew arrivalā1 alluding to the fact that these birds were self-introduced in the 1800s, probably blown eastwards over the Tasman Sea from Australia during a storm.2
Their scientific name is Zosterops lateralis, and they have several English names: wax-eye, white-eye, and silver-eye are used interchangeably here in Aotearoa. They were once given the name āblight birdā for their reputation as excellent pest control in orchards.3
Sir Walter Buller, lawyer and naturalist in the late nineteenth century, said: āIn our gardens and orchards it regales itself freely on plums, cherries, figs, gooseberries, and other soft fruits; but it far more than compensates for this petty pilfering by the wholesale war it carries on against the various insects that affect our fruit trees and vegetablesā.4
Tauhou are reasonably numerous throughout the country and considered ānot threatenedā, though the NZ Garden Bird Survey indicates a shallow decline in numbers over the long term. In winter I often see flocks of them around bird feeders - that is, before the tÅ«Ä« swoop in and scare them away.
Their diet is varied, which means theyāre easy birds to cater for in the garden. Like pÄ«wakawaka (fantail), they eat spiders and insects; and like our endemic nectar-feeders theyāll also feast on fruit, flowers, and other sweet sugar sources. As I write this, an hour away from sunset, I am watching a pair that has been devouring the plum blossom since morning. I suspect they will be here long after I head inside!
Fruit trees are ideal candidates for a tauhou-friendly garden as they can provide for all their food needs in one fell swoop. In spring, the flowers provide nectar; in summer and autumn we leave some fruit on the trees for them; in winter there are branches to hang a feeder from. As a bonus, all year round there are insects - particularly aphids and moth caterpillars - for them to eat, providing a form of natural pest control for us humans.
Birds New Zealand have an in-depth profile on these birds, and list āgrapes, cherries, apples, pears, figs, apricots and peachesā5 as suitable fruits to feed tauhou. If you are renting (or donāt have space), the Royal Horticultural Society include many of these as good options in their guide to growing fruit trees in containers - I would also add feijoa to their list. Most fruit trees, including feijoas, have dwarf varieties available which are better suited to growing in a pot.
Whether youāre heading into the spring season like me, or are starting to feel the autumn coolness and colour, itās a great time to plant a fruit tree. If youāre feeling thrifty, see if you can get a fig cutting from a friend - they are super easy to propogate and the tauhou adore them.
Happy tree planting!
Zenobiaš
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Department of Conservation. Silvereye or wax-eye/tauhou, https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/silvereye-or-wax-eye. Accessed 29 Aug 2023.
Silvereye. Te Ara, https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/silvereye. Accessed 29 Aug 2023.
Norman, Geoff. Birdstories, 2018.
Buller, Walter. Birds of New Zealand. 1888.
Silvereye | Tauhou. Birds NZ, https://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/silvereye. Accessed 1 Sep 2023.
It's so nice to listen to. Your reading voice is so calming!