Bird watching in Mumbai, India - White-eared bulbul

The White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis), or White-cheeked Bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family. It is found in south-western Asia from India to the Arabian peninsula

Range map from www.oiseaux.net - Ornithological Portal Oiseaux.net

www.oiseaux.net is one of those MUST visit pages if you're in to bird watching. You can find just about everything there

Distribution of P. leucotis (light green) and P. leucogenys (dark green)
in the South Asian region - Click HERE for bigger map

By Akoolad - Own work, CC0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25633758

Taxonomy and systematics
The white-eared bulbul was originally described in the genus Ixos. The white-eared bulbul is considered to belong to a superspecies along with the Himalayan bulbul, white-spectacled bulbul, African red-eyed bulbul, Cape bulbul, and the common bulbul.

Formerly, some authorities considered the white-eared bulbul to be a subspecies of the Himalayan Bulbul. The alternate name, white-cheeked bulbul, is also used by the Himalayan bulbul. In Iran it is sometimes referred to as “the bulbul of Tehran”

Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized:

• Arabian white-cheeked bulbul (P. l. mesopotamia) - Ticehurst, 1918: Found in north-eastern Arabia, southern Iraq and south-western Iran

• P. l. leucotis - (Gould, 1836): Found in southern Iran, southern Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-western India

Description
This species is very similar in appearance to the Himalayan white-cheeked bulbul but smaller and uncrested, and with a larger white cheek patch. It has a pale bare eye-ring. The vent is orange yellow. Sexes are alike.

It is found in scrub forest and gardenland. Also found in flocks or pairs in the mangroves, gorging on the fruits of the Meswak bush. Usually seen in pairs or small groups. It feeds on fruits and insects, and breeds in March–June.

Length:

19 cm

Wingspan:

Weight:

18-28 g

Longevity:

Distinctive Feature

Black head with white patches over the ears

Similar Species

-

Listen to the White-eared Bulbul

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)

International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 23 March 2017

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia