Bird Archives

No.: PPPP0898

Chinese name: Bald Bulbul

English name: Light-vented Bulbul

Introduction to the bird:

The white-headed bulb (scientific name: Pycnonotus sinensis, English name: Light-vented Bulbul) is a bird of the genus Bulbul in the family Bulbulidae, order of the passerines. Its common names are Pulsatilla and White-headed Woman, and its English name is literally translated as Pale-rumped Bulbul and Chinese Bulbul. It is a very common bird in southern China, with a body length of about 19 cm, a black head, white eyebrows and pillow feathers, and olive green wings. The pillow feathers of the old bird are whiter, so it is also called "Pulsatilla", while the head of the young bird is olive-colored. Abundant in quantity. Lively and not very afraid of people. Omnivorous, it eats both animal and plant foods. It feeds mainly on berries and seeds of fruit trees, and often flies into orchards to steal fruits. In autumn and winter, after entering the breeding season, white-headed bulbuls will gather in the woods and make noisy noises, which often attracts people's attention. This swarming phenomenon disappears by spring.

Scientific information

Classification: Passeriformes, Pycnonotidae, Pycnonotus

Geographical distribution: Breeding area: Oriental World: c, s China, n Vietnam, Taiwan

Protection level: China's three protected birds; World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List protection level: Least Concern.

Color characteristics: Primary plumage color: green|green|; Secondary plumage color: white|white|

Genus information (optional): None.

Appearance characteristics:

Medium-sized (19 cm) olive-colored bulbul.

There is a wide white stripe behind the eyes extending to the nape of the neck. The black head is slightly crested, the mustache is black, and the buttocks are white. (Be careful not to fall into the misunderstanding of the name of the white-headed bulb. The white spots of the white-headed bulb are behind the eyes rather than the (black) top of the head. The Hainan subspecies has very little white on its head)

The young bird has an olive head and a chest. Gray horizontal stripes.

Iris - brown; mouth - almost black; feet - black.

Calls: Typical chirping and trilling and simple, non-rhythmic calls.

White-headed Bulbul sub-adults

Note that the sub-adults of the White-headed Bulbul are generally gray, with only an olive head, and do not have the iconic white head of the adult bird.

Life habits:

Lively and not very afraid of people, they live in groups on fruit trees. Sometimes it flies from its perch to catch food. The Bald Bulbul is a common bird in the vast area south of the Yangtze River. It is mostly active in tree shrubs on hills or plains, and is also found in coniferous forests.

In autumn and winter, they usually form large groups of 20 to 30 people, active on camphor, neem and other trees, pecking at fruits. In spring and summer, only 3 to 5 of them feed together. It often perches on the highest point of a low hedge or bush. When it sees an insect flying by, it will catch it in the air, and then return to the tree where it rests, chirping loudly. Its sounds are diverse.

Food habits

The Bald Bulbul is an omnivorous bird and eats both plant and animal substances. At the same time, its food habits vary with the seasons. In spring and summer, animal food is the main food, while in autumn and winter, plant food is the main food. Among animal foods, Coleoptera insects are the most common, such as turbinates, walking beetles, and scoop beetles. Most of the plant foods are dicotyledonous plants, and some berries and weed seeds are also eaten, such as cherry blossoms, ebony, grapes, etc.

The Bald Bulbul eats a large number of agricultural and forestry pests and is one of the beneficial birds of agriculture and forestry. It is a protected bird.

Growth and reproduction:

Reproduction occurs from March to August.

Nesting

Nesting in shrubs or broad-leaved trees, bamboo forests and coniferous trees. The nest is 1.5-7m high from the ground and is in the shape of a deep cup or bowl. It is composed of withered grass stems, grass leaves, thin trees, reeds, thatch, leaves, inflorescences, bamboo leaves and other materials. The size of the nest is 9-12cm×11-13cm in outer diameter, 6-7cm×7-8cm in inner diameter, 5.5-15cm high and 4-9cm deep.

Egg laying

Each clutch lays 3-5 eggs, usually 4. The eggs are pink with purple spots on the cover. Some are white with ocher spots, dark gray spots or white with ocher spots. The size of the eggs is 21.5-24mm × 16-16.6mm, and the egg weight is 2.6-3.3g.

Geographical distribution:

Distribution range: Distributed in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Domestic distribution: China is distributed in Sichuan and northeastern Yunnan in the west; southern Shaanxi and Henan in the north; coastal areas in the east, including Hainan and Taiwan; and southwest Guangxi in the south. For resident birds.

Subspecies differentiation

There are 4 subspecies of Bald Bulbul:

The named subspecies Pycnonotus sinensis sinensis is distributed in central and western China (Sichuan) , Shaanxi, Yangtze River Basin, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Beijing and Hebei), Vietnam, South China Sea and South Korea.

Pycnonotus sinensis hainanus is distributed in Hainan, China, southeastern Guangdong, and northern and central Vietnam. The body is small and the head is very white.

The Taiwan subspecies Pycnonotus sinensis formosae is distributed in Taiwan (excluding the southern part of Taroko Gorge and the southeastern coast).

The Ryukyu subspecies Pycnonotus sinensis orii is distributed in the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa and Yaeyama Island).

Conservation status:

The Bald Bulbul is a unique bird in my country. It is a common bird in the Yangtze River Basin and the vast areas south of China. During the breeding season, it almost exclusively feeds on insects. It is of great significance in plant protection. The population is still relatively abundant.

The Bald-headed Bulbul has been listed as one of the three nationally protected birds.

Cultural connotation: None.

Scientific research (optional): None yet.

Others: None.

References (source):

[1]. Bird Network Forum? Regional Zone? Guangdong Version Guangdong? Bulbul: /showtopic-230916.aspx

< p>[2]. Bald Bulbul: /forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=208036&ordertype=1