Other Names (World)
Lemon-bellied White-eye, Moluccan White-eye, Banda White-eye, Yellow White-eye, Yellow-bellied White-eye, Large Bridled White-eye, Mangrove White-eye, Pale White-eye
Described subspecies majauensis (from Mayu I) and tudjuensis (Tujuh I) merged with nominate; solombensis (Masalembu Is), zachlora (Laut Kecil Is) and periplectus (Lombok) subsumed in maxi; and sumbavensis (Bima, in eastern Sumbawa) and kalaotuae (Kalaotoa I) synonymized with intermedius.
In Sulawesi, racial identity of birds in north-eastern arm of mainland, on Dodepo I (in northern Tomini Bay) and on Kabaena I (off south-eastern Sulawesi) unclear; all provisionally placed with intermedius, but those on Dodepo and Kabaena possibly represent undescribed subspecies.
The following 7 subspecies are recognised:
chloris Bonaparte, 1850 - Mayu I (half-way between Sulawesi and Halmahera), Schildpad Is (north of Misool), Tujuh (off northern Seram), Banda, Manuk, Seram Laut, Tayandu, Kai, Taam (off Kai), and outliers of Aru Is (Babi, Karang, Enu).
mentoris Meise, 1952 - North-central Sulawesi.
flavissimus E. J. O. Hartert, 1903 - Tukangbesi Is, off south-eastern Sulawesi. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Wakatobi White-eye (Zosterops flavissimus).
intermedius Wallace, 1864 - Eastern and southern Sulawesi, Dodepo I, Kabaena, Muna, Butung (but not recorded from south-eastern peninsula), small
islands in Flores Sea (Tanakeke, Salayar, Tanahjampea, Kalao, Bonerate, Kalaotoa, Madu), and central Lesser Sundas (Sumbawa, Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Palu, Besar, Sabolan Besar).
maxi Finsch, 1907 - Karimata Is (off western Borneo), islets southern and east of Belitung, islands in Bay of Jakarta (Seribu Is), Karimunjawa Is, Gili (off Bawean I), Laut Kecil Is, Kangean Is, Menjangan (off north-western Bali), Nusa Penida, and Lombok.
solombensis Oberholser, 1917 - Solombo Besar I. (Java Sea).
zachlorus Oberholser, 1917 - Kalambau I. (Java Sea).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet