Japanese White-eye - Competitors

Competitors

In its natural habitat, the Japanese White-eye competes with other native passerine bird species, including those of the same genus, such as the Bonin White-eye (Apalopteron familiare). In Hawaii, the Japanese White-eye competes with native passerines such as the Common 'Amakihi, for food (such as nectar and fruit), as well as for space. In Hawaii, the Japanese White-eye has been observed visiting endemic (native) floral species thought to have coevolved with endemic nectarivorous avian species (those that eat nectar). This means that, over time, changes in native flowers have triggered changes in native birds that feed on the nectar of these flowers; the latter change then triggers another change in the flowers, and the whole process continues to repeat itself. The visitation of the White-eye, along with the disappearance of those endemic nectarivorous passerine bird species, suggests that the White-eye is out-competing those endemic species for the floral resource (nectar).