About the Black Bulbul
The black bulbul, also known as the Himalayan black bulbul or Asian black bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found primarily in the Himalayas, its range stretching from Pakistan eastward to Southeast Asia. It is the type species of the genus Hypsipetes, established by Nicholas Aylward Vigors in the early 1830s. There are a number of subspecies, mostly varying in the shade of the body plumage which ranges from grey to black, and some also occur in white-headed morphs, as also suggested by its specific epithet leucocephalus, literally "white head". The legs and bill are always rich orange-red.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The black bulbul is 24–25 cm (9.4–9.8 in) in length, with a long tail. The body plumage ranges from slate grey to shimmering black, depending on the race. The beak, legs, and feet are all orange and the head has a black fluffy crest. Sexes are similar in plumage, but young birds lack the crest, have whitish underparts with a grey breast band, and have a brown tint to the upperparts. They have a black streak behind the eye and on the ear coverts. Voice: They can be quite noisy, making various loud cheeping, mewing and grating calls. The Himalayan form has been reported to make a call resembling a goat kid, throwing back its neck when calling.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Black Bulbul sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Sri Lanka, Macao SAR China, South Korea.
When to see it
Peak activity in April · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Brown-eared BulbulHypsipetes amaurotisReaching a length of about 28 cm (11 in), brown-eared bulbuls are grayish-brown, with brown cheeks (the "brown ears" of the common name) and a long tail.
Square-tailed BulbulHypsipetes ganeesaThe square-tailed bulbul lacks the black streak behind the eye and on the ear-coverts that is present in the black bulbul.
Philippine BulbulHypsipetes philippinusThe Philippine bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.
Side by side: Black Bulbul vs Brown-eared Bulbul
Learn the Black Bulbul for real
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