Bird Guide

Light-vented Bulbul vs Red-whiskered 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-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: Light-vented Bulbul and Red-whiskered Bulbul.