Date: 10/6/26 10:38 am From: Carter Gasiorowski via groups.io <carter.gasiorowski...> Subject: [southbaybirds] Swinhoe’s White-eye SCU
I just saw a Swinhoe’s White-eye in front of the observatory at Santa Clara University, which seems to be the second county record for Santa Clara County. Swinhoe’s White-eye is currently not countable anywhere in Northern California, but given how this species has rapidly colonized Southern California, I fear it may not be too long before they are common here. Currently, there seem to be very small local populations in San Francisco and possibly Alameda, with other scattered records. While it’s possible this bird is an escapee, I believe it is most likely a dispersant from a population elsewhere in the state. Rajan Rao in his ABA article “Meet the White-eyes!” states that, “ scattered records across the West Coast… likely reflect dispersers from this (Southern California) source population.”
Overall, while this sighting on its own is not particularly notable, I hope that it makes local birders aware so that we can be on the lookout for more Swinhoe’s White-eyes. This species certainly wasn’t on my radar, and even after observing the bird for almost a minute I only realized what it was after reviewing my photos. Given that they often live in suburban areas, it’s possible there could already be a small, recently established population on the valley floor which has so far avoided detection. Especially with the ongoing California Bird Atlas, I hope that everyone can be on the lookout for this bird in their backyards & neighborhoods (learn their call!) so we can continue documenting and learning more about its ongoing expansion.
Do not disclose information that identifies the location of nesting birds of any species, to minimize stress on the nesting birds and the risk of vandalism or abuse.
