Nature Quest: Into those 'white eyes'
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Teachers aren’t under siege, but reason and justice are Teen gang crimes: Govt considering lowering minors’ age limit PM to visit Tungipara home tomorrow via Padma Bridge Latest austerity move: No vehicle purchase for govt institutions Engineering student finds passion in everything that isn’t engineering 42 dengue patients hospitalised in 24 hours 10,000 flood victim families of Sylhet-Sunamganj to get Tk 10,000 each I got the job by mistake, but Dravid has come through the system: Shastri Absurdism, reality, and Franz Kafka Self-proclaimed killer on bail: Slain Buet student Dwip’s father seeks PM’s intervention Exports hit all-time high of $52 billion Evaly’s Rassel, Shamima sued for embezzling Tk 26.77 lakh Remittance falls to $21.03 billion in FY2022 2 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours, positivity rate 15.53% PM grateful to nation: “Your support empowered me to build Padma Bridge”
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Nature Quest: Into those 'white eyes'

Mintu Deshwara
Fri May 4, 2018 12:00 AM Last update on: Fri May 4, 2018 12:00 AM
An Oriental White-eye foraging at Satchari National Forest in Habiganj. Previously an ever-present fixture of almost every forest in Bangladesh, these birds are now mostly spotted in this forest in Habiganj, as deforestation and poaching have decreased the number of the birds inhabiting the country. Photo: Masuk Ahmad

The magnificence of the Oriental White-eye lies exactly where the name suggests. The round, white orbs nestling the iris, looking almost as if an artist has crafted them with absolute compassion, is what first catches an observer's attention.

The bird has numerous names in Bangla like Shetakkhi or Babunai.

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Being a resident breeder in open woodland in tropical Asia, it occurs in the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia, extending to Indonesia and Malaysia.

These birds are often seen flying around in or nestled in the trees of the Satchari National Forest in Habiganj.

Wildlife photographer Masuk Ahmad said that this bird, scientifically known as Zosterops Palpebrosus, belongs to the White-eye family. They are mainly insectivores, which help in pest control, but may also feed on nectar and various tender fruits and seeds which helps pollination.

He said the presence of the bird is more visible during the summertime in the Satchari National Park as their breeding seasons are between April to October.

Wildlife expert Dr M Monirul H Khan, professor of the zoology department at Jahangirnagar University, said that the bird's height is about 8-10 cm and the average weight is 9 grams.

An adult Oriental White-eye's back and head are yellow in colour, with black wings and a tail, white breast and stomach, dark yellow throat and lower tail, and a brown beak.

They attract potential mates during this season with their melodious tunes.

Hanging their nests made of cobwebs, lichens and plant fiber, on high tree branches, the females lay two to four pale blue, spotless eggs. The chicks hatch in nine to eleven days and can fly within 10 days of hatching.

Tofazzal Sohel, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, Habiganj, said the Oriental White-eye is classified in the "least concern" category on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

However, once found in almost every forest, grove, garden, orchard, and village of Bangladesh, the species is now decreasing in number due to habitat loss, deforestation, and, especially, poachers.  

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