Red-Whiskered Bulbul
Pycnonotus jocosus
Also known as: Red-Whiskered Bulbuli
Habitat
Understory
Diet
Omnivore
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
29 g
About This Species
Look for this crested, red-cheeked bulbul in gardens, scrub, and forest edges across South and Southeast Asia, where it forages actively in the understory and lower canopy for fruit and insects, often in noisy pairs or small groups. Its cheerful, bubbling call is frequently the first clue to its presence before the bird itself comes into view. It has also established introduced populations in parts of Australia, the United States, and elsewhere, where garden shrubs and fruiting trees are equally good places to look.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A patient, quiet approach near fruiting shrubs usually works better than trying to walk right up to a calling bird, since it will simply move to the next patch of cover.
- In its native Asian range it generally falls under general wildlife protection law, but where it has been introduced, for example in parts of Australia and Florida, it may be treated as a non-native species with fewer or no legal protections and is sometimes actively managed, so local status is worth checking before assuming it is protected.
- Avoid disturbing active nests regardless of the bird's legal status where you are.
Seasonal Activity
928,324 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pycnonotidae
Traits
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Foraging
- Understory
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 29 g
Photo
(c) Vijay Anand Ismavel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.