Bird Album
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Pycnonotus jocosus (Linnaeus, 1758)
20–22 cmLength28 cmWingspan30 gWeight
It has a tall black crest, a single red patch below and behind the eye, and red beneath the tail.
Busiest months: February · Most records: India, China, Australia
How to identify
Field marks
- Crown black, with long erect crest
- Red patch below and behind the eye, cheek white
- A single black band on each side of the breast
- Outer tail feathers with white tips, undertail-coverts red
Male, female and young
The female resembles the male, with black replaced by blackish-brown; immatures lack the red patch and have rufous undertail-coverts.
Voice
A loud three- or four-syllable call, often transcribed as “kink-a-joo”.
Where and when it's recorded
Red-whiskered Bulbul has been recorded at 810 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 17 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- GKVK CampusIndia15,297 records
- Canara Bank LayoutIndia4,831 records
- Saul Kere / Sowl KereIndia3,973 records
More places
- College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, PookodeIndia3,951 records
- Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)3,749 records
- Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural HistoryIndia3,691 records
- Valley SchoolIndia2,982 records
- Kerala Agricultural UniversityIndia2,555 records
- Wildlife Institute of IndiaIndia2,540 records
- Thrissur Government Medical CollegeIndia2,448 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), or crested bulbul, is a passerine bird native to Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Red-whiskered Bulbul?
The Red-whiskered Bulbul is about 20–22 cm long, with a wingspan of 28 cm and weighs around 30 g.
Where does the Red-whiskered Bulbul live?
Its breeding range: Oriental: widespread. It is most often recorded in India, China and Australia.
When is the best time to see the Red-whiskered Bulbul?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Red-whiskered Bulbul endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-whiskered Bulbul as Least Concern.
What does the Red-whiskered Bulbul eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the Red-whiskered Bulbul in?
It belongs to the family Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 20–22 cm
- Wingspan
- 28 cm
- Weight
- 30 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 87 mm
- Tail
- 88 mm
- Bill
- 18 mm
- Tarsus
- 20 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Oriental: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Subspecies · 3
- Pycnonotus jocosus monticola e Himalayas to n Myanmar and s China
- Pycnonotus jocosus jocosus se China
- Pycnonotus jocosus hainanensis Hainan I. (off se China)
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Bulbuls Pycnonotidae
- Genus
- Pycnonotus
Other birds in the genus Pycnonotus
Cream-vented BulbulPycnonotus simplex
Olive-winged BulbulPycnonotus plumosus
Asian Red-eyed BulbulPycnonotus brunneus
Straw-headed BulbulPycnonotus zeylanicus
Spot-necked BulbulPycnonotus tympanistrigus
Cream-eyed BulbulPycnonotus pseudosimplex
Ashy-fronted BulbulPycnonotus cinereifrons
White-browed BulbulPycnonotus luteolus
Ayeyarwady BulbulPycnonotus blanfordi
Streak-eared BulbulPycnonotus conradi
Pale-eyed BulbulPycnonotus davisoni
Stripe-throated BulbulPycnonotus finlaysoni
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by myjkccd. ↗
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