Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) - HBW 13, p. 467

Taxonomy: Sylvia lateralis Latham, 1801, Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia.
Member of a species group which includes also Z. tenuirostris, Z. albogularis and Z. inornatus. Australian races sometimes grouped into three separate species, differing in plumage characters, size and vocalizations; all mainland forms, however, intergrade through broad zones, and DNA-DNA analysis indicates that neighbouring races are each other’s closest relatives. Lord Howe race tephropleurus sometimes treated as a further separate species. In Australia, birds in W of range previously known as race gouldi, but chloronotus has priority and not preoccupied by “chloronothos”. Recent taxonomic review has led to several changes to the previously accepted arrangement: in E Australia, population in N Queensland (S to Mackay region) formerly known by name ramsayi (but type description based on intergrade specimens) and those from Mackay region S to E Victoria as familiaris (which appears to consist of two intergrading races), hence N populations of ramsayi now known as race vegetus and S populations along with most of familiaris replaced by name cornwalli; S populations of former familiaris now known as westernensis; S populations (CS South Australia E to SW New South Wales and W Victoria) formerly treated as race halmaturinus, but that name invalid (type material seems to represent intergrades between chloronotus and dull birds from SE South Australia), hence birds in E of that range described as new race pinarochrous; in addition, birds on King I (in Bass Strait), formerly included in nominate, considered to differ sufficiently to warrant racial separation, and thus described as new race ochrochrous; further research, including genetic analyses, required as a priority to enable better understanding of racial limits. Otherwise, proposed race macmillani (from Tanna, in S Vanuatu) is considered synonymous with vatensis. Sixteen subspecies currently recognized.