The capped white-eye (Zosterops fuscicapilla) is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitat is in subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It has a white eye ring, round wings, and strong legs. The capped white-eyes are sociable and live in large flocks. The Oya Tabu white-eye of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands has sometimes been considered to be a distinct species.
Taxonomy The capped white-eye was formally described in 1876 by the Italian zoologist Tommaso Salvadori under the current binomial name Zosterops fuscicapilla based on a specimen collected on Mount Arfak on the Bird's Head Peninsula of northwest New Guinea. The specific epithet fuscicapilla combines Latin fuscus meaning "dusky" or "brown" with "-capillus" meaning "-capped".
Two subspecies are recognised: Z. f. fuscicapilla Salvadori, AT, 1876 – mountains of coastal northern New Guinea Z. f. crookshanki Mayr, E & Rand, AL, 1935 – Oya Tabu white-eye – mountains of Goodenough Island, in D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago (off southeastern New Guinea)
The subspecies Z. f. crookshanki has sometimes been considered as a separate species, the Oya Tabu white-eye, based on the differences in plumage, iris colour, and vocalization.
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