Sooty-headed Bulbul

Overview

The sooty-headed bulbul, scientifically known as Pycnonotus aurigaster, is a species of songbird in the family Pycnonotidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is primarily found in south-eastern Asia.

Identification

• A medium-sized songbird measuring between 18 and 21 centimetres in length with a short crest.
• Distinguished by its tan front, less extensive area of black on its head, and gold-coloured vent in certain subspecies.
• Its call consists of a series of whistled notes similar in tone to the red-whiskered bulbul but delivered in a more hurried manner.

Habitat

Its natural habitat consists of subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, though it can also be found in fire-damaged and degraded hill shrubland. The species is distributed across Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, southern China, Hong Kong, Macao, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, with a disjunct range broken by the Malay Peninsula.

Did you know?

In Hong Kong, this bird appears to prefer dryland agricultural areas above other habitats, a behavioural preference that distinguishes it from the more common red-whiskered and light-vented bulbuls.