Photo: Byflickr / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-eared Bulbul
Pycnonotus penicillatus
Yellow-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus penicillatus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
The Yellow-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus penicillatus) is a member of the Pycnonotidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 36.5 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 Pycnonotus
- Species penicillatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 36.5 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Pycnonotidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-eared Bulbul is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Yellow-eared Bulbul is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Yellow-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus penicillatus) belongs to the Pycnonotidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Sri Lanka.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 36.5 g, with a wing length of about 7.9 cm and a tail of around 7.9 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 3,926 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-eared Bulbul?
The Yellow-eared Bulbul is a small bird that weighs around 36.5 g.
Where does the Yellow-eared Bulbul live?
The Yellow-eared Bulbul is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Sri Lanka, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Yellow-eared Bulbul belong to?
The Yellow-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus penicillatus) belongs to the Pycnonotidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Yellow-eared Bulbul eat?
The Yellow-eared Bulbul is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Yellow-eared Bulbul migrate?
The Yellow-eared Bulbul is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Yellow-eared 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 Yellow-eared Bulbul make?
1 real field recording of the Yellow-eared 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 Yellow-eared Bulbul's range?
The Yellow-eared Bulbul has a mapped global range of about 3,926 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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