eyestripe

plural eyestripes · alternative eye-stripe

1. biologyA stripe on each side of the head of an animal that includes the eye, and is of a different colour from the rest of the head.
2. biologyIn particular, such a stripe on each side of the head of some birds.

   Dama. [i.e., the dama gazelle] Horns hooked forward at the ends; body white; dorſal and eye-ſtripes tawny.

   1806, Charles Linné [i.e., Carl Linnaeus], “Order V. Pecora.”, in William Turton, transl., A General System of Nature, through the Three Grand Kingdoms of Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals: […] In Seven Volumes, volumes I (Animal Kingdom.—Mammalia. Birds. Amphibia. Fishes.), London: Printed for Lackington, Allen, and Co. […], →OCLC, section 38 (Antilope), page 112

   5 more examples

   MALIMBA BEE-EATER. [...] Cinereo-violaceous Bee-Eater, sanguine rose-coloured beneath, with black eye-stripe, white throat, and two lengthened tail-feathers.

   1812, George Shaw, General Zoology, or Systematic Natural History, volume VIII, part 1 (Aves), London: Printed for Kearsley, Wilkie and Robinson, [et al.], →OCLC, page 174

   These two birds somewhat closely resemble each other, but the Sedge Warbler is russet-brown above, the feathers with dark centres, the pale buff eyestripe is very clearly defined, and the underparts are buffish white; the Reed Warbler is more olive on the upper parts, the feathers having no dark centres, the underparts are more inclined to buff, and the eyestripe is nearly obsolete.

   1891, Charles Dixon, “Ramble VI. By Lakes and Streams.”, in The Birds of Our Rambles: A Companion for the Country, London: Chapman and Hall, Limited, →OCLC, page 130

   The plumage pattern of the red-backed shrike male is conspicuous from a long distance. This pattern, not the feathering, is all-important since a plain plastic model is as effective as a stuffed mount in eliciting mobbing by pied flycatchers. Removal of the conspicuous eye stripe (including the equally dark eye) renders the model almost ineffective[…].

   1993, E. Curio, “Proximate and Developmental Aspects of Antipredator Behavior”, in Advances in the Study of Behavior, volume 22, San Diego, Calif.; London: Academic Press, →ISBN, →ISSN, →OCLC, section II (Causal Aspects of Enemy Recognition), page 150

   Once in a while a design feature shows up in animals that are not closely related. A good example is the eyestripe coloration pattern, which appears in sparrows, antelopes, and chipmunks. In all these creatures, a dark facial stripe runs from the snout to the eye. [...] Presumably eyestripes serve as protective coloration in all these prey animals, disguising their eyes from predators.

   2009, James Gurney, “Dinosaurs”, in Imaginative Realism: How to Paint what Doesn’t Exist, Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews McMeel Publishing, →ISBN, page 94, column 1

   The eye-stripe is exactly that: a stripe through the eye. When present, this is a dark line that usually extends from the bill back through the eye. On some birds, it extends just from the eye back, leaving the lores (the area between the eye and the bill) pale and unmarked.

   2014, Keith Vinicombe, “Topographical Tips”, in The Helm Guide to Bird Identification: An In-depth Look at Confusion Species, London: Christopher Helm, →ISBN, page 14

   Synonyms: eyeline