Expert object recognition is thought to be supported by holistic perception, i.e., the ability to perceive all diagnostic information at once in a unified percept. The current study tested this hypothesis using a gaze-contingent eye-tracking paradigm. Specifically, bird experts and novices were presented with two bird images sequentially, and their task was to determine whether the two images were of the same species (e.g., two different song sparrows) or different species (e.g., song sparrow and chipping sparrow). The first study bird image was presented in full view. The second test bird image was presented fully visible (full-view), restricted to a circular window centered on gaze position (central-view) or restricted to image regions beyond a circular mask centered on gaze position (peripheral-view). We found that while experts and novices did not differ in their eye-movement behavior, experts’ performance on the discrimination task for the fastest responses was less impaired than novices in the peripheral-view condition in which central vision is masked. Thus, consistent with the claim that experts perceive objects more holistically, the experts were able to use visual information in peripheral vision further away from fixation than novices.