Japanese white-eye

The Japanese white-eye , also known as the mejiro , is a small passerine bird in the white-eye family. The specific epithet is occasionally written ''japonica'', but this is incorrect due to the gender of the genus. Its native range includes much of east Asia, including Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines. It has been intentionally introduced to other parts of the world as a pet and as pest control, with mixed results. As one of the native species of the Japanese islands, it has been depicted in Japanese art on numerous occasions, and historically was kept as a cage bird.