Brown-eared bulbul

Ixos amaurotis

Photo by peter de Haas (Bird Forum)

Common name:

brown-eared bulbul (en); tuta-de-faces-castanhas (pt); bulbul à oreillons bruns (fr); bulbul de orejas castañas (es); orpheusbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Pycnonotidae

Range:

This Asian species is found from the Russian Far East, through north-eastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan, and south to Taiwan and the Babuyan and Batanes island chains in the north of the Philippines.

Size:

These birds are 28 cm long and weigh 30-35 g.

Habitat:

Brown-eared bulbuls are mostly found in tropical and subtropical moist forests, but also in arable land, rural gardens and urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.100 m.

Diet:

Their diet includes insects, seeds, blossom, fruit, berries, and leafy vegetables.

Breeding:

Brown-eared bulbuls are monogamous. They build a cup-shaped nest in the lower branches of a tree, where the female lays 4-5 eggs. The eggs are incubated for 11-14 days and the chicks fledge 12-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is described as generally abundant throughout Japan, locally common in South Korea, uncommon in Taiwan and common in the Philippines and China. The population is estimated to be increasing following a range expansion into urban areas in Japan during recent decades.