Bird Guide

African Red-eyed Bulbul vs Cape Bulbul

African Red-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus nigricans)

African Red-eyed Bulbul

Pycnonotus nigricans

Small31 gShrubland

The African red-eyed bulbul ranges from 19 to 21 centimeters (7-8 inches) in length and weighs 30-48 grams (1-1.7 ounces). Its call is a series of loud fluty notes, usually given only by the male.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: le0p0ld_d · CC BY 4.0
Cape Bulbul (Pycnonotus capensis)

Cape Bulbul

Pycnonotus capensis

Small39 gShrubland

The Cape bulbul is 19–21 cm (7.5–8.3 in) long, mainly dull, blackish brown with a diagnostic white eye-ring, and yellow undertail coverts. The head has a small crest. The short, straight bill, legs and feet are black and the iris is dark brown. The sexes are similar in plumage. This species is much darker than the other South African bulbuls, and differs in the eye ring colour and brown lower belly, whereas the other dark bulbuls have a pale lower belly. The dark belly helps to identify juveniles, which lack the distinctive eye ring of the adult.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Derek Keats, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Where you might meet both

Learn this pair in BeakBrain

Photo and call practice, free in any browser.

Play BeakBrain

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: African Red-eyed Bulbul and Cape Bulbul.