Other Names (World)
Orange River White-eye, Pale White-eye, Cape White-eye, African Pale White-eye, Pallid White-eye, Cape-and-Green White-eye, Green White-eye (virens, capensis, atmorii) (pallidus, sundevalli), Pale White-eye (pallidus, sundevalli, caniviridis), Pale Silvereye, Pale-bellied Silvereye, Pale-bellied White-eye
Orange River White-eye (Zosterops pallidus) [XC683624]
by Dawie de Swardt from City of Matlosana (near Klerksdorp), Southern DC, North West, South Africa (song)
Orange River White-eye (Zosterops pallidus) [XC541284]
by Dawie de Swardt from City of Matlosana (near Klerksdorp), Southern DC, North West, South Africa (call)
Subspecies capensis, virens and atmorii formerly treated as representing a separate species, nominate and sundevalli (often united with caniviridis) together constituting another species. Subspecies atmorii and virens interbreed in Eastern Cape Province.
The following 6 subspecies are recognised:
pallidus Swainson, 1838 - Namibia and western South Africa (western northern Cape).
capensis Sundevall, 1850 - South-western South Africa (east to western eastern Cape). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens).
caniviridis Clancey, 1962 - Eastern and south-eastern Botswana and
adjacent northern South Africa. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens).
sundevalli Hartlaub, 1865 - Central South Africa (North West
Province, eastern northern Cape Province, Free State).
virens Sundevall, 1850 - Extreme south-western Mozambique, eastern South
Africa (south to eastern Cape) and Swaziland. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens).
atmorii Sharpe, 1877 - Lesotho and adjacent South Africa
(mainly western KwaZulu-Natal). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens).
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet