Yellow-vented bulbul

Pycnonotus goiavier

Photo by Ian Barker (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
yellow-vented bulbul (en); tuta-de-ventre-amarelo (pt); bulbul goiavier (fr); bulbul culiamarillo (es); augenstreifbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found in south-east Asia, from Thailand and Laos, south to the Indonesian islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa, and also throughout most of the Philippines.

Size:
These birds are 19-20,5 cm long and weigh 24-37 g.

Habitat:
The yellow-vented bulbul is mostly found in dry scrublands, including coastal scrubs and pioneer sea dune scrubs, but also use semi-open banks and shoals of rivers, marshes, mangroves, moist tropical forests, second growths, arable land, plantations, rural gardens and urban areas.

Diet:
They are generalists and considered highly opportunistic, taking a wide range of berries and fruits, including figs and cinnamon tree fruits, as well as seeds, nectar, young shoots and also some insects.

Breeding:
Yellow-vented bulbuls breed in December-October. The nest is a deep cup made of grass, leaves, roots, vine stems, twigs, and lined with plant fibres. It can be placed low on a scrub or on a creeper high up in the trees. The female lays 2-5 white to pinkish eggs with reddish-brown to lavender spots. Both parents incubate and raise the young but there is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledging periods. Each pair raises several broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common throughout its range and abundant in lowland and mid-altitude areas of Borneo. The population is suspected to be increasing rapidly as this species benefits from deforestation and the creation of artificial habitats.

Swamp greenbul

Thescelocichla leucopleura

Photo by Chris Perkins (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
swamp greenbul (en); tuta-da-ráfia (pt); bulbul des raphias (fr); bulbul de las rafias (es); raphiabülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found from Senegal, along the coast of West Africa into southern Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon, and eastwards into Congo and D.R. Congo, and marginally into northern Angola.

Size:
These birds are about 23 cm long and weigh 58-67 g.

Habitat:
The swamp greenbul is mostly found in tropical swamp forests with palm trees, particularly Raphia and to a lesser extent Elaeis. They also use dry tropical forests, dry savannas, second growths, plantations and arable land.

Diet:
They feed on fruits, including Ficus, Heisteria, Macaranga, Morinda, Musanga and Schleffera.

Breeding:
Swamp greenbuls possibly breed in January-October. There is no further information on the reproduction of this species.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common in areas of suitable habitat. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Cabanis's greenbul

Phyllastrephus cabanisi

(Photo from Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Cabanis's greenbul (en); tuta-de-Cabanis (pt); bulbul de Cabanis (fr); bulbul de Cabanis (es); Cabanis-bülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found from northern Angola, through northern Zambia and southern and eastern D.R. Congo, and into South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and northern Mozambique.

Size:
These birds are 16,5-19 cm long and weigh 22-42 g.

Habitat:
Cabanis's greenbuls are mostly found in moist tropical forest, also using moist scrublands and secondary forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.700 m.

Diet:
They feed on various arthropods, namely grasshoppers, beetles, mantids, caterpillars, ants and spiders.

Breeding:
These birds possibly breed all year round. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated for 11-12 days. The chicks fledge 17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common and widespread. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Yellow-browed bulbul

Iole indica

(Photo from Canopy)

Common name:
yellow-browed bulbul (en); tuta-de-sobrolho-dourado (pt); bulbul à sourcils d'or (fr); bulbul cejiamarillo (es); goldbrauenbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found along the south-western coast of India, from Maharashtra to Kerala, and also further east in Andhra Pradesh, and in Sri Lanka.

Size:
These birds are 20 cm long and weigh 27-34 g.

Habitat:
The yellow-browed bulbul is moist tropical forests, particularly along forest edges and rivers, but also uses secondary forests, shade coffee plantations and rural gardens.

Diet:
They feed mainly on fruits, berries, seeds and flowers, but also take invertebrates such as spiders, caterpillars and various winged insects.

Breeding:
Yellow-browed bulbuls breed mainly in January-May. The nest is a cup made of moss and spider webs and lined with fine rootlets, which is usually placed in a fork located low in a tree or scrub. The female lays 2-3 pale pink or white eggs with reddish-brown speckles, which are incubated for about 13 days. The chicks are fed insects and berries and fledge about 13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is is described as common or very common throughout the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka and abundant in Goa. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Puff-throated bulbul

Alophoixus pallidus

Photo by António Gonçalves (Flickr)

Common name:
puff-throated bulbul (en); tuta-pálido (pt); bulbul pâle (fr); bulbul pálido (es); blassbauch-haubenbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found in southern China, eastern Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Size:
These birds are 23 cm long.

Habitat:
The puff-throated bulbul is found in moist tropical forests, mainly in lowland areas, but also in some mountain slopes.

Diet:
They feed on fruits and invertebrates.

Breeding:
Puff-throated bulbuls breed in February-July. They often breed cooperatively, with helpers participating in nest-building, incubating and feeding the young. The nest is a deep cup made of dry leaves and lined with fine rootlets, placed in an horizontal fork in a small tree, 1-15 m above the ground. The female lays 2-3 whitish of pale cream eggs with dark rusty-red blotches, which are incubated for 12-13 days. The chicks fledge 10-11 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common in most parts of its range and very common in southern China. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Icterine bulbul

Phyllastrephus icterinus

Photo by Guillaume Passavy (Oiseaux)

Common name:
icterine bulbul (en); tuta-icterino (pt); bulbul ictérin (fr); bulbul icterino (es); zeisigbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found in West Africa, from southern Guinea and Sierra Leone to Ghana, and from southern Nigeria, though Cameroon and Gabon, and into Congo and D.R. Congo.

Size:
These birds are 16 cm long and weigh 15-22 g.

Habitat:
The icterine bulbul is mostly found in lowland rainforests, but also uses swamp forests, mountain rainforests and dry savannas.

Diet:
These birds are strictly insectivorous, searching for insects among the foliage.

Breeding:
Icterine bulbuls can breed all year round. The cup shaped nest is made of twigs, dead leaves, grasses and fungi, and usually placed in an open canopy tree up to 6 m above the ground. the female lays 2-3 eggs which are incubated for 12-14 days. The chicks fledge 11-12 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally common to abundant. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats. However, some forests within its range are threatened by clearance for shifting cultivation and degradation through the removal of understorey tree species to create cacao plantations.

Terrestrial brownbul

Phyllastrephus terrestris

Photo by Alan Manson (Wikipedia)

Common name:
terrestrial brownbul (en); tuta-da-terra (pt); bulbul jaboteur (fr); bulbul terrestre (es); laubbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This African species is found from Somalia and Kenya, through eastern Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and into southern Angola, south-eastern D.R. Congo, eastern and northern Botswana and eastern and southern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 17-19 cm long and weigh 25-35 g.

Habitat:
The terrestrial brownlbul is mostly found in the undergrowth of moist tropical forests and riparian forests along rivers and streams, also using moist scrublands and arable land.

Diet:
They forge on the ground, by probing and overturning the leaf litter feed, mainly taking arthropods such as ants, termites and beetles. They are also known to eat snails, small lizards, fruits, seeds and the nectar of Aloe plants.

Breeding:
Terrestrial brownbuls breed in October-April. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a fragile and untidy cup of twigs, roots, leaves, moss, bark and lichen, lined with softer plant materials. It is typically placed inconspicuously on a branch near the edge of a scrub or thicket. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 13 days. There is no information regarding the length of the fledgling period, but the chicks are cared for by both parents and become independent a few days after fledging.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be common but sometimes only locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-eared bulbul

Pycnonotus leucotis

Photo by Carmelo López (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
white-eared bulbul (en); tuta-de-orelha-branca (pt); bulbul à oreillons blancs (fr); bulbul orejiblanco (es); weißohrbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found from Iraq and eastern Saudi Arabia, through southern Iran and into southern Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-western India.

Size:
These birds are 18 cm long and weigh 30-45 g.

Habitat:
The white-eared bulbul is mostly found in dry savannas and scrublands, but also in reedbeds along rivers, streams, lakes and marshes, in mangroves, deserts, plantations, rural gardens and arable land.

Diet:
They feed on fruits and insects.

Breeding:
White-eared bulbuls breed in March-June. The nest is an open cup made of plant fibres, where the female lays 2-4 light brown eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 14-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 15 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as locally common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to the irrigation of a few desert regions

Collared finchbill

Spizixos semitorques

Photo by Jon Hornbuckle (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
collared finchbill (en); tuta-de-coleira-interrompida (pt); bulbul à semi-collier (fr); bulbul collarejo (es); halsbandbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family  Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found in central and south-eastern China, as well as in Taiwan and marginally into northern Vietnam.

Size:
These birds are 17-23 cm long and weigh 35-50 g.

Habitat:
The collared finchbill is mostly found in temperate and tropical forests, especially along forest edges, but also in scrublands, savannas, secondary forests and within urban areas. It is present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:
They feed mostly on fruits and berries, but also take seeds and insects, especially beetles.

Breeding:
Collared finchbills breed in April-August. The nest is bowl-shaped and made of dry grasses, stems, leaves and fine roots. It is usually placed at the tip of a branch, most often on a tree, but sometimes also on a scrub. The female lays 2-4 white, light brown or pale yellow eggs with reddish-brown and purple spots. The eggs are incubated for 10-12 days and the chicks fledge 13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the population in China, which represents most of the global population, has been estimated at 20.000-200.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Yellow-bellied greenbul

Chlorocichla flaviventris

Photo by Ian White (Flickr)

Common name:
yellow-bellied greenbul (en); tuta-amarelo (pt); bulbul à poitrine jaune (fr); bulbul de vientre amarillo (es); gelbbauchbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from Angola and northern Namibia in the west, through southern D.R. Congo and Zambia and into Kenya, southern Somalia, Mozambique and north-eastern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 20-22 cm long and weigh 32-52 g.

Habitat:
The yellow-bellied greenbul is found in tropical forests and scrublands, especially areas of thick undergrowth in clearings in riverine and coastal forests, but also in dry miombo and mopane savannas, rural gardens, mangroves and semi-arid scrublands.

Diet:
They mainly eat fruits, but also seeds, flowers and insects. They are also known to take ticks from mammals such as impalas.

Breeding:
Yellow-bellied greenbuls breed in September-March. The nest is a fragile, thin-walled cup built of tendrils, twigs, dry grass and other plant fibres, typically attached with spider web to the foliage of a sapling, scrub or creeper. The female lays 1-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 14 days. The chicks are fed and brooded by both parents and fledge 16-18 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as widespread and generally common. The population in Mozambique has been estimated at 40.000 individuals, but represents only a small part of the global range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Black-fronted bulbul

Pycnonotus nigricans

Photo by Hans Hillewaert (Wikipedia)

Common name:
black-fronted bulbul (en); tuta-de-olhos-vermelhos (pt); bulbul brunoir (fr); bulbul encapuchado (es); maskenbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found in southern Africa, from southern Angola and Zambia down to South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 21 cm long and weigh around 30 g.

Habitat:
The black-fronted bulbul is found in a wide variety of arid and semi-arid habitats, such Acacia savanna and dry scrublands, but also in riparian vegetation along rivers and streams and in rural gardens and orchards in arid areas.

Diet:
They mainly eat fruits and nectar, but also flowers and some arthropods.

Breeding:
Black-fronted bulbuls are monogamous, territorial nesters. They breed in September-April with the female building the nest, an untidy cup of fine twigs, dry grass and other small plant fibres, reinforced with spider web. It is usually concealed in the fork of a scrub or tree. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 11-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest 12 days after hatching, but are only able to fly competently 1 week later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common and widely distributed. The population is suspected to be increasing as this species benefits from the provision of water for livestock and thrives in gardens and orchards.

Red-vented bulbul

Pycnonotus cafer

Photo by J.M. Garg (Wikipedia)

Common name:
red-vented bulbul (en); tuta-de-ventre-vermelho (pt); bulbul à ventre rouge (fr); bulbul de ventrirrojo (es); rußbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species originates from the Indian sub-continent, being found throughout India and Sri Lanka, in eastern Pakistan and Afghanistan, in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and marginally into southern China. This species has been introduced in several islands in the Pacific, such as Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Samoa, Tonga and Hawaii, also in New Zealand and in the Arabian Peninsula in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and The United Arab Emirates.

Size:
These birds are 20 cm long and weigh 26-45 g.

Habitat:
The red-vented bulbul is found in a wide range of habitats including tropical and subtropical dry forests and scrublands, rural gardens, plantations and urban areas.

Diet:
They mainly eat fruits, but also flowers, leaves and nectar of a wide range of plants, namely Solanaceae, Moraceae, Papilionaceae, Verbenaceae, Bombacaceae and Cucurbitaceae. They are also known to occasionally eat geckos.

Breeding:
Red-vented bulbuls can breed all year round, with a peak in January-October. the nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a small flat cup made of twigs, roots and grasses. It is placed in a fork in a tree, up to 4 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 pink eggs with purple or reddish-brown blotches, which are incubated for 10-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 12 days after hatching. Each pair may raise up to 3 clutches per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the red-vented bulbul is described as generally common, being abundant in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and rare in southern China. The population is estimated to be increasing following a recorded range expansion owing to the spread of irrigation. This species has also been introduced in several areas outside their native range, where they become a problem as an invasive species.

Himalayan bulbul

Pycnonotus leucogenys

Photo by Jerome Boisard (Flickr)

Common name:
Himalayan bulbul (en); tuta-de-faces-brancas (pt); bulbul à joues blanches (fr); bulbul de mejillas blancas (es); weißohrbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae

Range:
This species is found along the southern foothills of the Himalayas, in Bhutan, Nepal, northern India, northern Pakistan and marginally into Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Size:
These birds are 18-20 cm long and have a wingspan of 25-28 cm. They weigh around 30 g.

Habitat:
They are mainly found in tropical and sub-tropical moist forests and scrublands, but also in rural gardens and even within urban areas. The Himalayan bulbul is present at altitudes of 300-2.400 m.

Diet:
These birds are omnivorous, eating insects such as ants, grubs and beetles, and other invertebrates, as well as fruits, berries, seeds, buds and nectar.

Breeding:
Himalayan bulbuls breed in March-August. The nest is a small cup made of dry stems, grasses and shreds of vegetable fibres, and lined with finer materials such as dry grass stems or grass roots. It is placed on a thorny scrub or low tree branch, up to 2 m above the ground. There the female lays 3 pinkish eggs with red speckles, which are incubated for 12 days. The chicks fledge 9-11 days after hatching. Each pair may raise 2-3 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the Himalayan bulbul is described as generally common to abundant. The population is suspected to be increasing as the species benefits from deforestation.

Black bulbul

Hypsipetes leucocephalus

Photo by Irene Ho (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
black bulbul (en); tuta-preta (pt); bulbul noir (fr); bulbul nero (es); schwarzfluchtvogel (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae


Range:
This species is found in southern Asia, with one population in western India and Sri Lanka and another from northern India and Pakistan, through the Himalayas and into southern China and Indochina.


Size:
These birds are 24-25 cm long and weigh 34-40 g.


Habitat:
The black bulbul is mostly found in tropical moist forests, but also in second growths and rural gardens. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 3.200 m.


Diet:
They mainly feed on seeds, insects and berries, but also eat the nectar of various flowers.


Breeding:
Black bulbuls breed in February-June. The nest is a cup made of grasses, dry leaves, mosses, lichens and spider webs, lined with ferns and rootlets and placed in a fork in a tree or scrub. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated for 12-13 days. The chicks fledge 11-12 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and described as generally fairly common to very common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Sombre greenbul

Andropadus importunus

Photo by Carmelo López (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
sombre greenbul (en); tuta-sombria (pt); bulbul importun (fr); bulbul sombrío (es); schlichtbülbül (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae


Range:
This species is found in eastern Africa, from Kenya, through eastern Tanzania and Mozambique and into Zimbabwe and eastern and southern South Africa.


Size:
These birds are 15-18 cm long and weigh around 26 g.


Habitat:
They are mostly found in dry scrublands, usually near the coast, but can also be found in dry savanna, forest, moist scrubland, rivers, bogs, marshes, agricultural land and urban areas.


Diet:
Sombre greenbuls mostly eat fruits, namely those of Azima tetracantha, Carissa, Cussonia, Ficus, Hippobromus pauciflorus, Rhus, Scutia myrtina, Sideroxylon inerme, Viscum and Lantana camara. They also eat succulent leaves, flowers, buds and nectar of Aloe and sometimes hunt insects and snails.


Breeding:
These birds breed in September-April. The female builds the nest alone, consisting of an open, flimsy cup made of rootlets, twigs, grass and other plant material. It is usually placed in a fork of or at the end of a tree or bush branch, 1-4 m above the ground. There she lays 1-3 white eggs with brown markings, which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed and brooded by both parents and fledge 10-14 days after hatching, but only become fully independent a few weeks later.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The sombre greenbul has a very large breeding range and is reported to be abundant along the coast and common inland. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Grey-headed bulbul

Pycnonotus priocephalus

Photo by Ramki Sreenivasan (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
grey-headed bulbul (en); tuta-de-cabeça-cinzenta (pt); bulbul colombar (fr); bulbul de cabeza gris (es); graukopfbülbül (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Pycnonotidae


Range:
This species is endemic to south-west India, being found in the Western Ghats and Palni Hills, between Goa and Tamil Nadu.


Size:
These birds are 14-15 cm long and weigh 14-19 g.


Habitat:
Grey-headed bulbuls are mostly found in moist broadleaved forests with dense undergrowth and bamboo stands. During the breeding season they are generally restricted to altitudes of 700-1.400 m, while outside the breeding season they move down to lower altitudes.


Diet:
They mostly eat berries and fruits, but also take a some insects.


Breeding:
Grey-headed bulbuls breed in January-May. The nest is a platform made of vines, grasses, moss and green leaves, placed in a bamboo stand, 0,5-5 m above the ground. There the female lays 1-2 eggs which are incubated for 12-14 days. The chicks fledge 11-13 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near-threatened)
This species has a restricted breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the population is thought to occur at low densities in suitable habitat which is patchily distributed throughout its range. The population is believed to be undergoing a moderately rapid decline, caused by habitat loss and degradation as forest are converted into plantations, reservoirs, crops and human settlements. Only 20% of the natural forest vegetation of the Western Ghats remains intact, and it is highly fragmented. Extensive extraction of bamboos is also an important factor causing population decline.

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.

Yellow-whiskered greenbul

Andropadus latirostris

Photo by Ron Eggert (Tanzanian Birds)

Common name:

yellow-whiskered greenbul (en); tuta-de-bigodes-amarelos (pt); bulbul à moustaches jaune (fr); bulbul de bigotes amarillos (es); gelbbartbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Pycnonotidae

Range:

This African species is found from Senegal, Guinea and Liberia east to Kenya and south to Angola, Zaire and Tanzania.

Size:

They are 16-19 cm long and weigh 19-32 g.

Habitat:

The yellow-whiskered greenbul is mostly found is tropical and sub-tropical moist forest, but can also use areas of moist scrubland, dry savanna, dry forest and even in rural gardens and plantations. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1500 m.

Diet:

These birds are omnivorous, eating fruits, berries and many invertebrates including molluscs, woodlice, spiders, frogs, and geckos.

Breeding:

In areas where this species occurs at low densities they are monogamous and territorial, whereas in high density they are polygamous with males gathering to sing at lek sites. The female lays 1-4 eggs which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. In monogamous pairs the male helps feeding the young while polygamous males have no further part in the breeding process after mating. The chicks fledge about 14 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The yellow-whiskered greenbul has a very large breeding range and is reported to be often the most abundant bulbul within its range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Hook-billed bulbul

Setornis criniger

Photo by Azahari Reyes (Bird Forum)

Common name:

hook-billed bulbul (en); tuta-de-bico-comprido (pt); bulbul à long bec (fr); bulbul picudo (es); langschnabelbülbül (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Pycnonotidae

Range:

This Asian species is confined to Borneo, including Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia, Brunei, and Kalimantan, and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Bangka.

Size:

These birds are 19-20 cm long .

Habitat:

Hook-billed bulbuls are strongly associated with nutrient-poor vegetation on acid soils. These include peat swamps with lowland evergreen forests characterised by low tree species diversity and strong adaptation to a fluctuating water-table, and heath forests, namely Kerangas dense, low forests of thin-boled, small-leaved and often sclerophyllous trees. It has also been recorded in abandoned rubber plantations, ridge-top heath forest and sometimes tolerates secondary forest, but generally avoids dryland primary forest. It is found from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.

Diet:

They eat small fruits, berries, small beetles, dragonflies and their nymphs, ants and spiders. They also steal spider prey caught on webs.

Breeding:

These birds are monogamous, building a cup-shaped nest high on a tree. The female lays 1-5 purple-pink eggs which she incubates alone for 11-14 days. The chicks fledge 12-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)

This species has a large breeding range but the current population is believed to be just 10.000-20.000 individuals. Although recent data on population size and trend are lacking, large-scale habitat conversion continues at a catastrophic rate across the region, particularly within the specialised habitats occupied by this species, suggesting a rapid and continuing decline. The peatswamp forests on Borneo and Sumatra are under extreme pressure through logging and agricultural, industrial and residential development, particularly oil palm plantation. In addition, recent forest-fires have destroyed vast swathes of primary peat swamp vegetation. Even in protected areas, such as Tanjung Puting National Park, industrial-scale illegal logging is proceeding at such a pace that most peat swamp forest is likely to disappear within the next decade.