Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus)
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Common Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus (Desfontaines, 1789)

32 gWeight

The common bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds.

Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Uganda

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Uganda

Common Bulbul has been recorded at 656 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 49 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nairobi NPKenya1,920 records
  2. Kruger NP – Skukuza CampSouth Africa1,573 records
  3. Entebbe Botanical GardenUganda1,572 records
More places
  1. Rietvlei NRSouth Africa1,042 records
  2. Kakamega Forest NR – Rondo Retreat CentreKenya940 records
  3. Lake Mburo NPUganda906 records
  4. Lake Nakuru NPKenya883 records
  5. Arusha NPTanzania734 records
  6. Mkhuze GRSouth Africa714 records
  7. Kruger NP – Lower Sabie Rest CampSouth Africa696 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaKenyaUgandaTanzaniaGhanaMoroccoZimbabweGambia

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 common bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is widespread throughout most of Africa except for the very arid areas, and has recently begun breeding in southernmost Spain. Ten subspecies are recognised based on the geographical variation in plumage.

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

Questions

How big is the Common Bulbul?

The Common Bulbul weighs around 32 g.

Where does the Common Bulbul live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda.

Is the Common Bulbul endangered?

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

What does the Common Bulbul eat?

Main food: Fruit.

What family is the Common Bulbul in?

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

At a glance

Weight
32 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Fruit
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
94 mm
Tail
85 mm
Bill
18 mm
Tarsus
21 mm

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

Range

Africa: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Bulbuls Pycnonotidae
Genus
Pycnonotus

Other birds in the genus Pycnonotus

Cream-vented BulbulCream-vented BulbulPycnonotus simplexOlive-winged BulbulOlive-winged BulbulPycnonotus plumosusAsian Red-eyed BulbulAsian Red-eyed BulbulPycnonotus brunneusStraw-headed BulbulStraw-headed BulbulPycnonotus zeylanicusSpot-necked BulbulSpot-necked BulbulPycnonotus tympanistrigusCream-eyed BulbulCream-eyed BulbulPycnonotus pseudosimplexAshy-fronted BulbulAshy-fronted BulbulPycnonotus cinereifronsWhite-browed BulbulWhite-browed BulbulPycnonotus luteolusAyeyarwady BulbulAyeyarwady BulbulPycnonotus blanfordiStreak-eared BulbulStreak-eared BulbulPycnonotus conradiPale-eyed BulbulPale-eyed BulbulPycnonotus davisoniStripe-throated BulbulStripe-throated BulbulPycnonotus finlaysoni
Common Bulbul

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Youssef ElNahas. ↗

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