They have a grey back and olive-green head and wings, whitish under tail and chestnut flanks. 

These tiny birds are more common in South East Australia and their range extends from Cape York Peninsular in Queensland through the south and south west coastal plains to Western Australia and also in Tasmania.

They are adaptable and spread to new habitats, including to New Zealand where Silvereyes were first recorded in 1832. There are several races of Silvereyes in Australia but only the Tasmanian race migrates.

The journey made by the Tasmanian birds is remarkable for their size and amounts to a 1600km trek across the Bass Strait and as far north as Queensland. It is thought they “island hop” across the water flying at night or at dusk or dawn to avoid predators. Once they reach the mainland they form large mixed flocks with mainland birds and travel established migratory pathways along the coastal plains. In the late winter they return south to breed.

They live in wooded habitats, commercial orchards and urban parks and gardens. They feed on insects, fruit and nectar, alone or in pairs. In my garden in Lorn near Maitland, they feed on Tuckeroo seeds and take nectar from Grevillea Robusta and Callistemon flowers as well as any fruit trees available. Silvereyes have brush-tipped tongues like honeyeaters enabling them to reach the nectar in the flowers.

The autumn migration has now started and is expected to be in full swing by early May. There are established migratory pathways through the Blue Mountains that are monitored with up to 50,000 birds counted in some years.

Some of the birds that migrate are honeyeaters, pardalotes and silvereyes. The progress of this migration through the Hunter Valley has been monitored by members of Hunter Bird Observers Club and a pathway found at Mt Sugarloaf and Pambalong Nature Reserve heading north through the Maitland area.

This phenomenon is a wonderful sight.