Wildlifeof Vietnam
Black Bulbul
Bulbuls
Photo: J.M.Garg · CC BY-SA 3.0
Hypsipetes leucocephalus
Rare visitor: recorded only occasionally in this country
Basic stats
Habitat
Nest a cup in a tree or bush fork, of grasses, dry leaves, mosses, lichens and cobwebs
Range
Primarily the Himalayas, from Pakistan eastward to Southeast Asia
Clutch size
Usually 2–3 eggs
Size
24–25cm
The black bulbul, also called the Himalayan or Asian black bulbul, is a bulbul 24 to 25cm long with a long tail, found primarily in the Himalayas with a range stretching from Pakistan eastward to Southeast Asia. The legs and bill are always rich orange-red, and the body plumage ranges from slate grey to shimmering black depending on the race, with some white-headed morphs (Wikipedia, general species account).
Sexes are similar, while young birds lack the crest and have whitish underparts with a grey breast band. They are quite noisy, making loud cheeping, mewing and grating calls, and the Himalayan form has been reported to make a call resembling a goat kid. The nest is a cup in a fork of a tree or bush, made of grasses, dry leaves, mosses, lichens and cobwebs, with two or three eggs.
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Black Bulbul live in?
- Nest a cup in a tree or bush fork, of grasses, dry leaves, mosses, lichens and cobwebs
- Where is the Black Bulbul found?
- Primarily the Himalayas, from Pakistan eastward to Southeast Asia
- How many eggs does the Black Bulbul lay?
- Usually 2–3 eggs
- How big is the Black Bulbul?
- 24–25cm