Bird Name:

White-headed Bulbul

Latin Name:

Hypsipetes thompsoni

Status:

Least Concern

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Pycnonotidae

Genus: Hypsipetes

Species: H. thompsoni

General information:

The White-headed Bulbul is a species of songbird found in an extensive range in Asia. The family is large with 119 species, and the genus has 20 species. The genus Hypsipetes has a more raucous voice than others in the family. They can be found in small flocks when not nesting. They are not territorial, but will gather to mob potential dangers such as owls or nest-robbing crows.

Physical Description:

The White-headed Bulbul is grey with a white head. Its tail is forked and its wings are short, which make them less than strong fliers. Therefore they do not migrate, although they do shift seasonally with the ripening fruit trees. Bulbuls have a patch of hair-like, vaneless feathers on their nape. They range in length from 6 to 11 inches. Their bills are slender and curved downward.

Diet:

The diet of bulbuls consists of primarily fruits and berries. Young are fed first on insects, then later on small berries.

Habitat:

The White-headed Bulbul is found in Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. It inhabits subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests and montanes. Nests are open deep cups constructed of grasses, moss, and bark lined with pine needles. They are between 5 and 15 feet up in the branches of a shrub or tree. They are cleverly concealed and often not visible.

Reproduction:

A female lays a single clutch of 2 to 3 eggs, pinkish grey in color marked with red, black and purple spots. The incubation is entirely done by the female, while the male feeds her on her nest and helps brood and feed the nestlings.