Heuglin's White-eye Zosterops poliogastrus Scientific name definitions

As per the standard white-eye (Zosterops) appearance, the Heuglin's White-eye is largely mustard-green with a prominent white eye-ring. It has a vivid yellow throat that contrasts, at least to some degree, with the underparts. The three currently recognized subspecies differ in the coloration of the underparts; ranging from yellowish to whitish gray.

Formerly known as the "Montane White-eye," this species was described in the 1800s by Theodor von Heuglin, for whom its current English name was derived. The "Montane White-eye" previously contained several isolated populations spanning the East African highlands, which we know now have evolved independently and are accordingly considered to be full species within the recent Zosterops radiation. These include the Kikuyu White-eye (Zosterops kikuyuensis), Kilimanjaro White-eye (Zosterops eurycricotus), Mbulu White-eye (Zosterops mbuluensis), Taita White-eye (Zosterops silvanus), and South Pare White-eye (Zosterops winifredae).