Black Bulbul

Hypsipetes leucocephalus (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

≈23 cmLength52 gWeight

This gray-black bulbul has a red bill, red legs and feet, and a fluffy crest at the back of the head; some subspecies have an entirely white head and neck.

Busiest months: April · Most records: China, India, Thailand

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Body gray-black
Bill, legs and feet orange-red
Crest at back of head loose and untidy
Some subspecies have entirely white head and neck

Male, female and young

The sexes are difficult to distinguish by sight; juveniles lack a crest and have whitish underparts with a gray breast-band.

Voice

Noisy and often calls in flight; a long “weenh” is heard most often.

Where and when it's recorded

Black Bulbul has been recorded at 809 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 12 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Nantou – Jiji Endemic Species Research InstituteTaiwan (China)5,133 records
Taipei – National Taiwan University Main CampusTaiwan (China)4,637 records
Taipei – Taipei Botanical GardenTaiwan (China)3,935 records

More places

Taipei – Da'an Forest ParkTaiwan (China)2,854 records
Chiayi – NCYU Lantan CampusTaiwan (China)2,603 records
Yeliu IBATaiwan (China)2,308 records
Taipei – Tianliaoyang WetlandTaiwan (China)2,249 records
Nantou – Puli Tzuchi FoundationTaiwan (China)1,597 records
Wildlife Institute of IndiaIndia1,527 records
Kenting NP – Sheding Lingxiao Pavilion (Raptors Observation Spot)Taiwan (China)1,524 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China India Thailand Nepal Vietnam Bhutan Cambodia Pakistan

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus), also known as the Himalayan black bulbul or Asian black bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found primarily in the Himalayas, its range stretching from Pakistan eastward to Southeast Asia. It is the type species of the genus Hypsipetes, established by Nicholas Aylward Vigors in the early 1830s.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black Bulbul?

The Black Bulbul is about ≈23 cm long and weighs around 52 g.

Where does the Black Bulbul live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: widespread. It is most often recorded in China, India and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Black Bulbul?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black Bulbul endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black Bulbul as Least Concern.

What does the Black Bulbul eat?

Main food: Fruit.

What family is the Black Bulbul in?

It belongs to the family Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: ≈23 cm
Weight: 52 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Fruit
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 118 mm
Tail: 98 mm
Bill: 25 mm
Tarsus: 18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 8

Hypsipetes leucocephalus concolor e Myanmar and s Yunnan (s China) through Indochina
Hypsipetes leucocephalus ambiens ne Myanmar and w Yunnan (s China)
Hypsipetes leucocephalus sinensis n Yunnan (s China) | non-breeding: to Thailand, Laos and Vietnam
Hypsipetes leucocephalus stresemanni c Yunnan (s China) | non-breeding: to Thailand and Laos
Hypsipetes leucocephalus leucothorax c China | non-breeding: to Burma, Thailand and Vietnam
Hypsipetes leucocephalus leucocephalus se China | non-breeding: to Burma and n Indochina
Hypsipetes leucocephalus nigerrimus Taiwan (China)
Hypsipetes leucocephalus perniger Hainan I. (off se China)