The Togian White-eye, a relative newcomer to the world of ornithology, is endemic to Togian Islands of Central Sulawesi. It was recently described in 2008.
“This is quite unique, because this species was discovered recently but not in a remote place,” said Jihad, Bird Conservation Officer of Burung Indonesia. The Togian White-eye inhabit the lowlands with an altitude of less than 100 meters above sea level. The species, whose name was taken from the father of Indonesian Ornithologist, Prof. Somadikarta, has been recorded living in flocks in low bush near mangroves, coconut groves, or in logged-over forests.
Mochamad Indrawan and Sunarto of Indonesia University first observed the species in August 1996 in Malenge Island, then observed again in June 1997 and May 2001. This species caught the attention of the two researchers because it had a black forecrown like Zosterops atrifrons—which is often found on the mainland of Sulawesi—but did not have white circles around the eyes.
Indrawan took a specimen from the Bogor Zoological Museum in 2008 to compare it to other Wallacean white eyes. He discovered that the Togian Islands species shown to differ in body proportions, the black color is narrower than in Z. atrifrons, and the beak was thinner. It also had a different vocalization than other white-eyes. For these reasons, the bird was described as a new species.
“When first described, this bird was proposed as an Endangered species given its limited and fragmented distribution area,” Jihad explained. However, because this species was able to adapt to changes in habitat and human activities, its status was downlisted. The IUCN is currently categorizing the Togian White-eye as Near Threatened.