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Sombre Greenbul

Andropadus importunus

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernFruitShrublandCup nestSmall · 27 g
Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus), photo 1
Photo: rcoliveira84 · CC BY 4.0
Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus), photo 2
Photo: rcoliveira84 · CC BY 4.0
Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus), photo 3
Photo: bdhimes · CC0
Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus), photo 4
Photo: Diego Rubolini · CC BY 4.0
Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus), photo 5
Photo: Diego Rubolini · CC BY 4.0
Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus), photo 6
Photo: Glynn Morris · CC BY 4.0
Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus), photo 7
Photo: Glynn Morris · CC BY 4.0
Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus), photo 8
Photo: Andropadus_importunus_3.jpg: Brian Ralphs from Wheaton, IL, USA derivative work: Berichard (talk) · CC BY 2.0
Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus), photo 9
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats · CC BY 2.0
Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus), photo 10
Photo: Brian Ralphs from Wheaton, IL, USA · CC BY 2.0

What the Sombre Greenbul sounds like

Sonogram of the Sombre Greenbul: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Anne Ndung'u · Song · Kilifi County, Kenya · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The sombre greenbul is 15–18 cm long, with mainly dull greyish olive-green plumage, paler on the underparts than above. There are variations in colour based on habitat range. Individuals located in southern Africa tend to be plain, olive-green. To the north, birds are yellower with greener upper parts. It has a white iris. The sexes are similar in plumage, but juveniles are even duller than the adult and have dark, grey eyes. There is no colour distinction among sexes. The subspecies A. i. hypoxanthus is much yellower below than the nominate subspecies.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Sombre Greenbul

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Sombre Greenbul

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 8 countries with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

South Africa Kenya Mozambique Eswatini Tanzania Zimbabwe Malawi Zambia

Recorded as a rare visitor in Lesotho.

About the Sombre Greenbul

The sombre greenbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a resident breeder in coastal bush, evergreen forest and dry shrub land in eastern and southern Africa. It is the only member of the genus Andropadus.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

White-spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygos) White-spectacled BulbulPycnonotus xanthopygosThe white-spectacled bulbul is a member of the bulbul family. Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) Yellow-vented BulbulPycnonotus goiavierThe yellow-vented bulbul, or eastern yellow-vented bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. White-browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus) White-browed BulbulPycnonotus luteolusThe white-browed bulbul is about 20 cm (7.9 in) long, with a moderately long (8 centimetres or 3 inches) tail.

Side by side: Sombre Greenbul vs White-browed Bulbul

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