White Eye Birds of Nauru. Nauru - 2005

 

The miniature sheet comprised of 6 pieces stamps depicted White Eye bird species of Nauru.The species are Long-billed White-eye, Golden White-eye, Bridled White-eye, Samoan White-eye, Fai-chuck White-eye.This is part of three set of miniature sheet issued by Nauru on 2005 with logo of Bird Life International.

Long-billed White-eye (Rukia longirostra) is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family. It is endemic to the island of Pohnpei  in the Federated States of Micronesia. Their natural habitats are subtropical and tropical moist forests, and plantations. This species is threatened by habitat loss.The species  has a curious nuthatch-like behaviour of creeping along large tree limbs, and especially seems specialize in using its long slightly-de-curved bill to extract insects from the severed ends of branches.

Golden White-eye (Cleptornis marchei) is a species of bird in the white-eye family Zosteropidae. The species is restricted to the islands of Saipan and Aguijan in the Northern Mariana Islands. This bird has golden coloured plumage and a pale eye-ring. It is a large white-eye, 14 cm long and weighing around 20 g .The species has bright, unmistakable plumage, with: a orange yellow head coupled with a pale eye-ring; a yellow-green back, wings, and tail; and golden orange undersides. Both the bill and legs are orange as well. The Golden White-eye is a generalist, feeding on fruit, berries, insects and nectar, forages in pairs or small family groups.The species is monogamous and lays two eggs in a small cup nest. They usually make a variety of calls. The species makes rasping shorter calls and whistles when in flocks and in flight.

Bridled White-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus) is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family. It is endemic to the Mariana Islands, where it is today restricted to the islands of Tinian, Saipan and Aguijan in the Northern Mariana Islands. The species formerly occurred on the island of Guam, but that population is almost certainly now extinct. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, plantations, and rural gardens.

Samoan White-eye (Zosterops samoensis) is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family. It is endemic to Savai`i, Samoa.  Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist mountain forests and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss. The population estimated 1,000 – 2,499 birds, but it is it is restricted to one island only where it occupies a very small area of forest. Therefore Bird Life International evaluated as Vulnerable Birds.The species has characteristics  are small warbler-like bird size only 10 cm, Olive-green above, dingy white below with yellow tinge to throat and conspicuous, completely white eye-ring and pale iris.

Rota Bridled White-eye (Zosterops rotensis) is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family. It is endemic to Rota in Northern Mariana Islands (USA).Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It feeds on insects, seeds, and fruit, and perhaps nectar.The species has characteristics are  Small, warbler-like bird , 10 cm in size,  yellowish-olive above, saffron-yellow lores and underparts. This is special characteristic of bold white eye-ring .The bird moves about in small groups.This species qualifies as Critically Endangered due to small population has declined very rapidly as a result of this habitat loss in combination with other factors. It may decline even more rapidly in the near future if brown tree snake Boiga irregularis becomes established on the island. Population estimated 1,100 birds.

Faichuk White-eye  (Rukia ruki) is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family. It is endemic to the summit of Mount Winipat on Tol, in the Faichuk group of islands within the Chuuk (Truk) atoll in Federated States of Micronesia.Its habitat is mountain rainforest dominated by the endemic Chuuk Poisontree. Due to it restricted range on one small mountaintop and the locals' disdain for the native poisontree, it is severely threatened by habitat loss. This species qualifies as Critically Endangered because Population estimated in the hundred, 530 birds, which is likely to be declining owing to continuing habitat loss. A large typhoon could plausibly lead to its extinction.The species has characteristics are medium-sized 14 cm,  all-dark, warbler-like bird, uniform dark-brown with black bill, orange legs and conspicuous white "teardrop" below the eye. The voice lively song and lilting warble very similar to song of Golden White-eye of the Marianas. Some advocate that it is the only true member of the genus Rukia, or the "Great White-eyes". It feeds by foraging for insects in the foliage.