Bird Guide

Common Bulbul vs Red-whiskered Bulbul

Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus)

Common Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus

Small32 gWoodland

The common bulbul is 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in) in length, with a long tail. The sexes are similar in plumage but the male is on average larger. It has a dark brown head and brown upperparts. The underparts are dull grey. The bill is fairly short and thin, with a slightly downwards curving upper mandible. The bill, legs, and feet are black and the eye is dark brown with a dark eye-ring, which is not readily visible. Subspecies P. b. dodsoni, P. b. spurius, P. b. tricolor and P. b. layardi have yellow undertail coverts. The call is a loud doctor-quick doctor-quick be-quick be-quick.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Sam Thomas · CC BY 2.0
Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Pycnonotus jocosus

Small29 gShrubland

The red-whiskered bulbul is about 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length. It has brown upper-parts and whitish underparts with buff flanks and a dark spur running onto the breast at shoulder level. It has a tall pointed black crest, red face patch and thin black moustachial line. The tail is long and brown with white terminal feather tips, but the vent area is red. Juveniles lack the red patch behind the eye, and the vent area is rufous-orange. An albino red-whiskered bulbul has also been recorded.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Ujjal Kishor De · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dhruvaraj S from India · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Common Bulbul and Red-whiskered Bulbul.