Yellow-vented bulbul

Pycnonotus goiaver

TAXONOMY

Pycnonotus goiaver Scopoli, 1786. Forms superspecies with P. barbatus, P. nigricans, P. capensis, P. leucotis, P. leucogenys and possibly P. cafer, P. aurigaster.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

French: Bulbul d'Arabie; German: Gelbsteißbülbül; Spanish: Bulbul Capirotado;.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

7.4 in (19 cm), 1.2–1.6 oz (35–46 g). Black head with white eye-ring. Brownish underparts, white in center of belly. Conspicuous yellow undertail (vent). Sexes alike. Juvenile resembles adult, but head brown.

DISTRIBUTION

Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, western Syria, Jordan, Sinai and Arabian peninsulas.

HABITAT

Open forest, cultivated gardens, orchards, plantations—anywhere with trees, bushes or scrub; will nest quite close to humans.

BEHAVIOR

Thought to spend time in "duo" with a sibling of same or different sex. Gregarious where food is abundant, hundreds may

flock together outside of breeding season. Active and noisy, squabbling common. Calls various chirping, bubbling, whistling, scolding, occasional mimic of other birds. Nonmigratory.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Mainly feeds on fleshy fruits, also insects; flying ants, bees, wasps, mole-crickets, worms, and snails.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Monogamous, pairs remain together all year, often for several years. Two to three broods, nests in bushes or low palms. Two to four subelliptical light violet to pink eggs, with violet or red-brown and gray speckles. Incubation 14 days, fledge 13–15 days.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not threatened. Fairly common throughout range, largest numbers in Israel where range is expanding (few hundred thousand pairs).

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

None known.

This article is about the southeast Asian species; for the Middle Eastern species also known by this name, see White-spectacled Bulbul

Yellow-vented Bulbul
Photograph taken in Bali, sex of individual unknown
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Pycnonotidae Genus: Pycnonotus Species: P. goiavier
Binomial name
Pycnonotus goiavier (Scopoli, 1886)

The Yellow-vented Bulbul, Pycnonotus goiavier, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is resident breeder in southeast Asia from southern Thailand and Cambodia south to Borneo and the Philippines.

It is found in a wide variety of open habitats, but not deep forest. It is one of the commonest birds in cultivated areas. It appear to be nomadic, roaming from place to place regularly.

The Yellow-vented Bulbul builds a well-camouflaged but fragile, loose, deep, cup-shaped nest from grass, leaves, roots, vine stems, and twigs. The nest is untidy on the outside, but it is neatly lined with plant fibers. it may be built in a wide range of places from low bushes to high trees. This is a species adapted to humans and may even nest in gardens. The Yellow-vented Bulbul lays 2-5 eggs in February to June.

The Yellow-vented Bulbuls eats berries and small fruits. They also sip nectar, nibble on young shoots, and take some insects.

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Pycnonotus goiavier. 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

External links

• Yellow-vented Bulbul page
• Various images of the Yellow-vented Bulbul

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Pycnonotus goiavier

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