Black-headed bulbul

The black-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus atriceps) is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in forests in south-eastern Asia.

Black-headed bulbul

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pycnonotidae
Genus: Pycnonotus
Species:
P. atriceps
Binomial name
Pycnonotus atriceps
(Temminck, 1822)
Synonyms
  • Brachypodius atriceps
  • Turdus atriceps

Taxonomy and systematics

The black-headed bulbul was originally described in the genus Turdus. Until 2008, the Andaman bulbul was also considered as a subspecies of the black-headed bulbul.[2]

Subspecies

Four subspecies are recognized:[3]

  • P. a. atriceps - (Temminck, 1822): Found in north-eastern India and Bangladesh though Southeast Asia to the Greater Sunda Islands and western Philippines
  • P. a. hyperemnus - (Oberholser, 1912): Found on western Sumatran islands
  • P. a. baweanus - (Finsch, 1901): Originally described as a separate species. Found on Bawean (north of Java)
  • P. a. hodiernus - (Bangs & Peters, JL, 1927): Originally described as a separate species. Found on Maratua Island (off eastern Borneo)

Description

The black-headed bulbul has a mainly olive-yellow plumage with a glossy bluish-black head. A grey morph where most of the olive-yellow is replaced by grey also exists. It resembles the black-crested bulbul, but has blue eyes (though not reliable in juveniles), a broad yellow tip to the tail, and never shows a crest (however, some subspecies of the black-crested are also essentially crestless, but they have red or yellow throats).

Behavior and ecology

The black-headed bulbul mainly feeds on small fruit and berries, but will also take insects. It commonly occurs in small flocks, comprising 6-8 individuals.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Brachypodius atriceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T103836079A94339713. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103836079A94339713.en.
  2. "Species Version 1 « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  3. "Bulbuls « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 12 March 2017.


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