Rising Tide Images
Nectar Feeding
Hanging upside-down from a banana blossom to feed on the nectar. Despite the magnificent blossom, the domesticated banana plant cultivars (Musa sp.) propagate asexually from offshoots. However, the flowers remain a high energy food source for nectar sipping birds like this mejiro. Just developing the characteristic green back and yellow throat coloration, this mejiro appears to be a juvenile. The mejiro was introduced to Hawaii from Japan in 1927 and is now ubiquitous in the islands due to its omnivorous consumption of fruit, insects, or nectar. It is easily identified by its conspicuous white eye ring. Also known as the Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus).
Nectar Feeding
Hanging upside-down from a banana blossom to feed on the nectar. Despite the magnificent blossom, the domesticated banana plant cultivars (Musa sp.) propagate asexually from offshoots. However, the flowers remain a high energy food source for nectar sipping birds like this mejiro. Just developing the characteristic green back and yellow throat coloration, this mejiro appears to be a juvenile. The mejiro was introduced to Hawaii from Japan in 1927 and is now ubiquitous in the islands due to its omnivorous consumption of fruit, insects, or nectar. It is easily identified by its conspicuous white eye ring. Also known as the Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus).