Red-vented Bulbul

Pycnonotus cafer

Information sources
http://www.arkive.org/red-vented-bulbul/pycnonotuscafer/#text=Glossary
Photography Locations
CII Godrej GBC, Hyderabad
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/red-vented-bulbul-pycnonotuscafer/two-birds-kapok-tropical-tree-early-morning

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer

Native: Parts of Asia

Life span : 11 years
Size : 20-22 cm
Family : Pycnonotidae
Weight:32 g
Red vented bulbul in India are known as singer bird

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer

Telugu: Pigli-pitta
Hindi: Guldum
Tamil:
Kondanchiradi
Kannada: Kempu
dwarada

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer

Males and females look alike

Morphology

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer

20cm in length, with a long tail

The body is dark brown with a
scaly pattern
Brown or black upperparts
White rump, brown or black
breast
White under parts apart from
the red around the vent
The head and small crest are
black

Habitat

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer

This is a bird of dry

scrub
Open forests
Plains and
cultivated lands
Rarely found in
mature forests
Bulls are more attracted to the movements of its
environment

Feed mainly on fruits, petals of flowers, nectar and

insects. They are important dispersers of seed of plants

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer

Nesting

It builds its nest in a

bush at a height of
around 2-3 m
Nests are occasionally
built inside houses
Small flat cups made of
small twigs but
sometimes makes use of
metal wires

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer

Breeding

Breed from June to

September
Eggs are pale-pinkish
with spots of darker red
more dense at the broad
end

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer

Capable of having
multiple clutches in a
year

Communication System
Their vocalizations are usually
stereotyped and they call
throughout the year
The typical call has been
transcribed as ginger beer but a
number of sharp single note calls

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer

likened as pick are also produced

However a number of distinct call
types have been identified
including
roosting, begging, greeting, flight
and two kinds of alarm calls

Predators
The Pied Crested

Cuckoo is a brood

parasite of this species

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer

Habitat loss

Thank you

Red-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer