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26

White-spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygos) Alternate name(s): "Yellow-vented Bulbul", "Black-capped Bulbul" Size: 19-21 cm

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Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description White-spectacled Bulbuls are Starling-sized birds. Their head and neck are dark-grey, except for light-grey eye-rings. The back of the head is shaped into a small crest. The rest of the front, from the chest to the belly, is light-grey. The vent is pale-yellow. The entire back and tail are brownish-grey. The slightly downcurved slender bill is dark-grey. The legs and feet are also dark-grey. Juvenile White-spectacled Bulbuls have a paler head than adults and no crest yet. Twitcher's tip Comparing the photos below with those of White-eared Bulbuls, one can notice that the vent of the White-spectacled Bulbul has a paler hue of yellow.

Taxonomy, classification See White-spectacled 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 White-spectacled Bulbul is available HERE . White-spectacled Bulbuls are sedentary. They populate the South coast of Asia Minor, the eastern coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, the southern Sinai peninsula, the lower valley of the river Nile river, the eastern coastline of the Red Sea, and the rest of the (near-)coastal fringe of the Arabian peninsula, plus some inland locations in Saudi Arabia. In Arabia White-spectacled Bulbuls are found along a broad (near-)coastal strip through western Saudi Arabia, Yemen and into southern Oman. They are also residents along the North coast of Oman. We have seen White-spectacled Bulbuls in an arboretum, where they preferably stayed in flowering trees and also in dense shrubs.

Sightings Click here for sighting information White-spectacled Bulbuls are permanent residents on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, where we saw them regularly in the time frame August 2009 - May 2010.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a White-spectacled Bulbul
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Near-frontal view of a White-spectacled Bulbul showing very clearly the toehold typical of a passerine, holding on to the branch with three toes forward and one back
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Lateral view of a White-spectacled Bulbul
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

White-spectacled Bulbul on its perch
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

White-spectacled Bulbul seeking shelter on a hot day
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Although it is not nice to peek up somebody's back side, this photo shows very clearly why this species was called the "Yellow-vented Bulbul" until the superspecies was split up and that name given to another species...
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Full-frontal view of a juvenile White-spectacled Bulbul spotted in late April
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Juvenile White-spectacled Bulbul with its head slightly turned...
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Juvenile White-spectacled Bulbul displaying its crest; the pinkish inside of its bill tells how young the bird still is
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

This is the same juvenile White-spectacled Bulbul as above, now practising how to drink from a pond; not being sure what exactly to do, it studies how a young House Sparrow does it
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Behaviour

Bulbuls are the only bird genus known to us that will devour whole flowers. Below an example of a White-spectacled Bulbul is shown, but the same behaviour has also been observed in White-cheeked Bulbuls.

White-spectacled Bulbul seen feasting on the petals of flowers
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

Food, Diet

We have seen White-spectacled Bulbuls devour whole flowers (photo below).

White-spectacled Bulbul picking a whole flower before carrying it away and then gulping it down in one piece
[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.

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