Black bulbul

Hypsipetes madagascariensis

TAXONOMY

Hypsipetes madagascariensis Gmelin, 1789. Four races recognized based on plumage variation.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

English: Madagascar bulbul, Madagascar black bulbul, Comoro bulbul, Comoro black bulbul; French: Bulbul malgache, Bulbul des Comores; German: Madagaskarfluchtvogel, Rotschnabel-Fluchtvogel; Spanish: Bulbul Negro.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

7.8 in (20 cm). Black, with slight crest and forked tail. Bright red legs and feet. Some races have white head, western races have grayer plumage. Sexes alike. Juvenile has less prominent crest, whitish throat and grayish brown plumage.

DISTRIBUTION

Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, southern China, Taiwan, Hainan, Myanmar, and Indochina.

HABITAT

Tall forest, shade trees in plantations.

BEHAVIOR

Gregarious, very noisy, will gather in flocks of several hundred birds. Has a variety of loud screeching, mewing notes, also repeated "pa-chit-chit" or "pip-per-tree." Flight is strong and swift. One of the few migrating bulbuls, resident in some areas, also moves altitudinally.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Mainly eats insects, also berries. Forages mainly in treetops, moving restlessly from tree to tree.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Breeds March through September, nest built high in forest trees.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not threatened. Locally common.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

None known.

Black Bulbul
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Pycnonotidae Genus: Hypsipetes Species: H. leucocephalus
Binomial name
Hypsipetes leucocephalus Müller, 1776
Synonyms
Hypsipetes madagascariensis

The Black Bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a resident breeder from Madagascar and the islands of the Indian Ocean into tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to southern China.

There are a number of subspecies across this huge range, mostly varying in the shade of the body plumage.

This bird is found in broad-leaved forests and cultivation. It builds its nest in a tree or bush; two to four eggs is a typical clutch.

The Black Bulbul is 24-25cm in length, with a long tail. The body plumage ranges from slate grey to shimmering black, depending on the race. The beak, legs, and feet are all red and the head has a black fluffy crest.

Sexes are similar in plumage, but young birds lack the crest, have whitish underparts with a grey breast band, and have a brown tint to the upperparts.

Black Bulbuls feed mainly on seeds and insects, and they are often seen in small groups, either roosting or flying about in search of food. They are particularly fond of berries. They can be quite noisy, making various loud miao calls.

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Hypsipetes leucocephalus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

• Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ISBN 0-691-04910-6

Gallery

Images from Kullu-Manali Distt. of Himachal Pradesh, India.

Taking bath

Collecting nesting material

Calling

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