Photo: Ian Dugdale / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Hairy-backed Bulbul
Tricholestes criniger
Hairy-backed Bulbul (Tricholestes criniger) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Hairy-backed Bulbul (Tricholestes criniger) is a member of the Pycnonotidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 17.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Pycnonotidae Bulbuls
- Genus Tricholestes
- Species criniger
Quick facts
- Weight
- 17.1 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Pycnonotidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Hairy-backed Bulbul is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Hairy-backed Bulbul is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Hairy-backed Bulbul (Tricholestes criniger) is a species of bird in the Pycnonotidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Malay Pen., Sumatra and Borneo.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 17.1 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 cm and a tail of around 6.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Hairy-backed Bulbul?
The Hairy-backed Bulbul is a small bird that weighs around 17.1 g.
Where does the Hairy-backed Bulbul live?
The Hairy-backed Bulbul is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Malay Pen., Sumatra and Borneo, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Hairy-backed Bulbul belong to?
The Hairy-backed Bulbul (Tricholestes criniger) belongs to the Pycnonotidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Hairy-backed Bulbul eat?
The Hairy-backed Bulbul is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Hairy-backed Bulbul migrate?
The Hairy-backed Bulbul is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Hairy-backed Bulbul endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Hairy-backed Bulbul make?
1 real field recording of the Hairy-backed Bulbul — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Hairy-backed Bulbul's range?
The Hairy-backed Bulbul has a mapped global range of about 1.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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