Wildlifeof Vietnam
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Bulbuls
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0
Pycnonotus jocosus
Rare visitor: recorded only occasionally in this country
Basic stats
Diet
Fruits and small insects
Habitat
Perches conspicuously on trees
Range
Resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia; introduced to many tropical areas
Clutch size
Typically 2–3 eggs, pale mauve with speckles becoming blotches at the broad end
Size
About 20cm
The red-whiskered bulbul, or crested bulbul, is a resident frugivore native to Asia and found mainly in tropical Asia, about 20cm long. It has brown upperparts and whitish underparts with buff flanks, a tall pointed black crest, a red face patch, a thin black moustachial line and a red vent area. Juveniles lack the red patch behind the eye (Wikipedia, general species account).
It has a loud three- or four-note call, a sharp 'kink-a-joo', and a scolding chatter, and often perches conspicuously on treetops in the mornings. It feeds on fruits and small insects. The breeding season peaks from December to May in southern India and March to October in northern India, with one or two broods a year and typically two or three eggs. It has been introduced in many tropical areas.
Quick answers
- What does the Red-whiskered Bulbul eat?
- Fruits and small insects
- What habitat does the Red-whiskered Bulbul live in?
- Perches conspicuously on trees
- Where is the Red-whiskered Bulbul found?
- Resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia; introduced to many tropical areas
- How many eggs does the Red-whiskered Bulbul lay?
- Typically 2–3 eggs, pale mauve with speckles becoming blotches at the broad end
- How big is the Red-whiskered Bulbul?
- About 20cm