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26

Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) Size: 21-24 cm Weight: 28-40 g

Oman: Family Group 26 Family Group 26 Table Crested Lark Marsh Warbler Clamorous Reed Warbler Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Upcher's Warbler Graceful Prinia Streaked Scrub Warbler White-eared Bulbul Yellow-vented Bulbul Red-vented Bulbul Common Myna(h) Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description The two sexes of Red-vented Bulbuls look alike. Their head is all-black, with the back of the head shaped into a small crest. The chest and upper belly is vermiculated light- and dark-grey. The lower belly is light-grey, the vent is bright-red. The nape of the neck and the entire back are dark-grey, with light-grey edge lining, giving the birds a scalloped appearance. The flight feathers are dark-grey. The slightly flared tail is dark-grey, with an off-white terminal band. The irises are dark. The slightly downcurved slender bill is dark-grey. The legs and feet are also dark-grey. Twitcher's tip In comparison with White-eared Bulbuls and White-spectacled Bulbuls, this species is more prominently crested.

Taxonomy, classification See Red-vented Bulbul at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Red-vented Bulbul is available HERE . Originally, Red-vented Bulbuls, which are sedentary, were resident breeders only on the Indian subcontinent, Myanmar and parts of Tibet. Red-vented Bulbuls are an invasive bird species and other populations have established themselves from escapes in various parts of the world (most prominently in some South-Pacific island nations). In Arabia, Red-vented Bulbuls are found near urban centres along the North coast of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman. They may be the descendents of escapes, although this is not firmly established. We have seen Red-vented Bulbuls in an arboretum, where they preferably stayed in flowering trees and also in dense shrubs, but also making use of buildings and hunting for spiders and/or insects, e.g. around window frames.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Red-vented Bulbuls have been spotted by us on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, in August-October 2009. For the next 6 months we did not see a single Red-vented Bulbul in that area.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Pair of Red-vented Bulbuls cooling on a very hot day
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Red-vented Bulbuls
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Sex unknown

Frontal/ventral view of a Red-vented Bulbul, showing clearly the characteristic red vent
Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

(Slightly blurred) near-frontal view of a Red-vented Bulbul - note the prominent crest
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Lateral/ventral view of a Red-vented Bulbul
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Near-dorsal view of a Red-vented Bulbul
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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