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With distinctive white rings encircling its eyes, the silvereye looks just like one of the feathered stars of hit video game Angry Birds.

There’s no computer wizardry at work here, though. The silvereye is a real-life eye-opener.

Also known as wax-eye, or white-eye, the diminutive birds can be found in New Zealand, as well as Australia and some of the southwest Pacific Islands, including Fiji.

 

Eye eye: The bird that looks distinctly cartoon-like

Distinctive: The silvereye has a conspicuous white ring around the eye

They feed on a variety of foods, invertebrates, fruit, and nectar and will feed in flocks over winter in gardens and parks from bird tables, eating fats, cooked meats, and bread and sugar water.

 

Silvereyes stay in pairs all year but in the winter they form big flocks, often flying at night in search of food. 

As the breeding season approaches the pairs break away to form individual territories and the first year birds pair up. Prolific breeders, they raise two to three broods per season, with between two to five eggs per brood.

Both adults incubate for about 11 days and the chicks fledge at about 10 days. The young are independent at three weeks and will breed at about nine months old.

 

Here’s looking at you: The silvereye’s eyes are so bright they almost look painted on

 

They have recorded that these little birds can live up to 12 years.

The Silvereye was first recorded in New Zealand in 1832, but arrived in greater numbers in 1856.

source::::  TED THORNHILL in   mailonline.com.uk
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