Bird Guide

Light-vented Bulbul vs Red-vented Bulbul

Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis)

Light-vented Bulbul

Pycnonotus sinensis

Small34 gUrban

The light-vented bulbul is around 19 cm (7.5 in) in length. It has a black crown and moustachial stripe, with white patches covering the nape and the sides of its black head. It has white plumage from its eyes to the back of its head. The upperparts are greyish-brown mixed with olive. The wings and tail are brown fringed with bright olive. The underparts are whitish with a pale brown breastband. It is noisy and sings very brightly and variably with a cha-ko-lee...cha-ko-lee... sound.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Joseph Tang · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子 · cc0
Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)

Red-vented Bulbul

Pycnonotus cafer

Small43 gShrubland

The red-vented bulbul is easily identified by its short crest giving the head a squarish appearance. The body is dark brown with a scaly pattern while the head is darker or black. The rump is white while the vent is red. The bird is about 20 cm in length, with a long black tail, tipped in white. The Himalayan races have a more prominent crest and are more streaked on the underside. The race intermedius of the Western Himalayas has a black hood extending to the mid-breast.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Jairam Vijayan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Rupal Vaidya · 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: Light-vented Bulbul and Red-vented Bulbul.