Reunion Grey White-eye

The Réunion grey white-eye (Zosterops borbonicus) is a small passerine from the family Zosteropidae, which is native to the islands of Réunion. == Taxonomy == The taxon mauritianus, by most authorities previously considered a subspecies, is now usually considered a separate monotypic species, the Mauritius grey white-eye, (Zosterops mauritianus). Together, both species were called Mascarene white-eye. There is some uncertainty about the number of subspecies on Réunion, with most authorities only accepting a single, the nominate (Z. b. borbonicus), while some also accept Z. b. alopekion, and Z. b. xerophilus. When only a single Réunion subspecies is accepted, alopekion and xerophilus are considered to represent morphs of the nominate. == Description == It has a length of 9.5 cm. Its plumage exhibits colour morphs which vary from gray to brown. The tail coverts are conspicuously white, unlike those of the Réunion olive white-eye. The rest of the body plumage is variable in hue, though invariably lighter than that of the previous species. It is typically blue-grey with a brownish wash to the mantle, and distinctly rufous-brown flanks. It has chestnut-coloured eyes with a very indistinct eye-ring, as opposed to that of the Réunion olive white-eye. In both species the breast…