Wildlifeof Bhutan
Red-vented Bulbul
Bulbuls
Photo: Lip Kee Yap · CC BY-SA 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Pycnonotus cafer
Basic stats
Diet
Fruits, flower petals, nectar, insects and occasionally house geckos
Habitat
Nests in bushes at 2–3m, sometimes tree cavities
Range
Resident breeder across South Asia extending east to Burma
Clutch size
2–3 pale pinkish eggs with dark red spots
Incubation period
About 14 days
Size
About 20cm
The red-vented bulbul is a resident breeder across South Asia extending east to Burma, about 20cm long with a long black tail tipped in white. It is easily identified by a short crest giving the head a squarish appearance; the body is dark brown with a scaly pattern, the head darker or black, the rump white and the vent red. Himalayan races have a more prominent crest and are more streaked underneath (Wikipedia, general species account).
It feeds on fruits, flower petals, nectar, insects and occasionally house geckos. The typical call has been transcribed as 'ginger beer', and its alarm calls are often heeded by other birds. Nests are built in bushes at around 2 to 3m, and two or three eggs are laid, hatching after about 14 days, with several clutches possible in a year. It is included among the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.
Quick answers
- What does the Red-vented Bulbul eat?
- Fruits, flower petals, nectar, insects and occasionally house geckos
- What habitat does the Red-vented Bulbul live in?
- Nests in bushes at 2–3m, sometimes tree cavities
- Where is the Red-vented Bulbul found?
- Resident breeder across South Asia extending east to Burma
- How many eggs does the Red-vented Bulbul lay?
- 2–3 pale pinkish eggs with dark red spots
- How long are the eggs of the Red-vented Bulbul incubated?
- About 14 days
- How big is the Red-vented Bulbul?
- About 20cm