Skip to main content

Photo: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Red-tailed Greenbul

Criniger calurus

Red-tailed Greenbul (Criniger calurus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.

The Red-tailed Greenbul (Criniger calurus) is a member of the Pycnonotidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 37.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Pycnonotidae Bulbuls
  4. Genus Criniger
  5. Species calurus

Where it lives

Western, central

Quick facts

Weight
37.7 g
Family
Pycnonotidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Red-tailed Greenbul is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Red-tailed Greenbul is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Red-tailed Greenbul (Criniger calurus) is a member of the Pycnonotidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 37.7 g, with a wing length of about 8.8 cm and a tail of around 8 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 3.3 million km².

Songs & calls

Red-tailed Greenbul — Call

Recorded by Jonathan Onongo Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Red-tailed Greenbul?

The Red-tailed Greenbul is a small bird that weighs around 37.7 g.

Where does the Red-tailed Greenbul live?

The Red-tailed Greenbul is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Red-tailed Greenbul belong to?

The Red-tailed Greenbul (Criniger calurus) belongs to the Pycnonotidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Red-tailed Greenbul eat?

The Red-tailed Greenbul is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Red-tailed Greenbul migrate?

The Red-tailed Greenbul is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Red-tailed Greenbul 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 Red-tailed Greenbul make?

1 real field recording of the Red-tailed Greenbul — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Red-tailed Greenbul's range?

The Red-tailed Greenbul has a mapped global range of about 3.3 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Pycnonotidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.

4 min read

Back to top