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White-eared Bulbul
(Pycnonotus leucotis)
: "White-cheeked Bulbul"
Size: 17.5-19 cm
Weight: 29-35 g (race
"mesopotamia")
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Both sexes of White-eared Bulbuls look alike. They
have a black head and neck, except for pure-white
patches on their cheeks/ear coverts. The rest of the
front, from the chest to the belly, is light-grey.
The vent is rich orange-yellow. The entire back and
tail are brownish-grey, with a thin white terminal
band on the tail.
The dark eyes are surrounded by pale bare eye-rings.
The slightly downcurved slender bill is dark-grey.
The legs and feet are also dark-grey.
Juvenile
White-eared Bulbuls have a paler head than
adults
and grey ear coverts. Their vent is pale-yellow.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Comparing the photos below with those of
Yellow-vented Bulbuls,
one can notice that the vent of the White-eared Bulbul has
a deeper hue of yellow.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See White-eared
Bulbul at Wikipedia .
Click here for classification information
White-eared Bulbuls are no longer considered to be conspecific
with the Himalayan Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucogenys).
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Range, habitat |
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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 White-eared Bulbul is available
HERE
.
There are two extant races of White-eared Bulbuls.
All together, they populate an area spanning from the eastern
Mediterranean coastline in the West to western India in the
East.
Although this is not shown in all field guides, White-eared
Bulbuls, which are sedentary, are found in the near-coastal
areas around both sides
of the Persian Gulf, from Kuwait and the lowlands of the
Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Iraq, along the North coast of
Arabia and the South coast of Iraq and Iran into southern
Pakistan and on to about the north-western quarter of India.
Nominate race
"leucotis"
exists in southern Iran, southern Afghanistan, Pakistan and
north-western India.
The range of race
"mesopotamia"
extends from southern Iraq and south-western Iran to north-eastern
Arabia.
In Arabia White-cheeked Bulbuls, race
"mesopotamia",
are found along a broad northern (near-)coastal strip. However,
note that, apart from a population in Bahrain, the rest, from
Kuwait via eastern Saudi Arabia, the UAE and via Musandam into
northern Oman, as far as Ras Al Hadd, on the north-eastern tip
of the Arabian peninsula, and in some inland locations (oases)
in the interior of Saudi Arabia, are considered to be introduced.
We have seen White-cheeked Bulbuls in an arboretum, where they
preferably stayed in flowering trees and also in dense shrubs.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "mesopotamia"
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Photos |
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Race "mesopotamia"
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ADULT |
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Frontal view of a White-eared Bulbul
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Near-frontal view of a White-eared Bulbul enjoying a drink and a shower
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Lateral view of a White-eared Bulbul looking at the observer
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Lateral view of a White-eared Bulbul checking out the observer
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a White-eared Bulbul
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Lateral/ventral view of a White-eared Bulbul, with a clear view
of the orange-yellow vent
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
Close-up lateral/ventral view of a White-eared Bulbul searching
for food, again with a clear view of the orange-yellow vent
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Lateral view of a juvenile White-eared Bulbul approaching a pond
to have a drink on a hot day, with temperatures in excess of 40 C
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]
Family of White-eared Bulbuls with three juvenile (and a few
House Sparrows
in the vicinity)
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]
Bulbuls are the only bird family known to us that will devour whole
flowers. Below an example of a White-eared Bulbul is shown, but
the same behaviour has also been observed in
Yellow-vented Bulbuls.
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Food, Diet |
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We have seen White-eared Bulbuls devour whole flowers (photo below).
Near-frontal view of a White-eared Bulbul gulping down a flower
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, February 2010]
Frontal view of a White-eared Bulbul with something it has found in
an acacia shrub
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, February 2010]
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.