Hairy-backed Bulbul

Overview

The Tricholestes criniger is a small songbird belonging to the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae, and is the only species in its monotypic genus. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is native to the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo.

Identification

• Small, relatively quiet bulbul measuring 16–17 cm in length and weighing 12–21 g, with weak legs and a slightly rounded tail.
• Olive plumage above and yellowish below, featuring a dark rufescent olive-brown cap and neck, pale yellowish lores, and a broad eye ring.
• Distinctive bright rufous-brown tail with creamy white tips and a creamy white chin and throat that merge into a yellow breast.
• Possesses hair-like filoplumes on the back, often concealed, along with strong rictal bristles, a light blue-grey bill, and pale greenish-brown legs.

Habitat

Found across the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo, specifically in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Three subspecies are recognised: T. c. criniger on the Malay Peninsula and eastern Sumatra, T. c. sericeus on western Sumatra, and T. c. viridis on Borneo.

Did you know?

The species is distinguished by hair-like filoplumes on its back, a feature that gives the bird its common name but is often concealed. It was originally described in the genus Brachypodius, a synonym for Pycnonotus, and has alternatively been classified in the genera Trichophorus and Hypsipetes.