Brown-eared Bulbul

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Brown-eared Bulbul

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Pycnonotidae
Genus:	Microscelis Gray, 1840
Species:	M. amaurotis

Binomial name

Microscelis amaurotis
(Temminck, 1830)

Synonyms

Hypsipetes amaurotis
Ixos amaurotis

The Brown-eared Bulbul (Microscelis amaurotis) is a medium-sized bulbul which is found from the Russian Far East (including Sakhalin), northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan, south to Taiwan and the Babuyan and Batanes island chains in the north of the Philippines, occasionally being found in Luzon. It is extremely common within the northern parts of its range, and is a familiar bird throughout Japan, where it is called hiyodori. However, in Taiwan it is rare and limited to Orchid Island 1.

This species was long placed in the genus Hypsipetes, at that time an indiscriminate assemblage of more or less related bulbul species. Later, its distinctness was recognized and it was variously placed in the genus Ixos or given a genus of its own, Microscelis. Analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences suggests that the latter is more appropriate (Moyle & Marks, 2006).

Historically, Brown-eared Bulbuls are migratory birds moving to the southern parts of its range in winter, but they have taken advantage of changes in crops and farming practices in recent decades to overwinter in areas farther north than previously possible. As a result, they are considered agricultural pests in some areas of Japan. Most Brown-eared Bulbuls still move south in winter, often forming huge flocks during migration. In summer, Brown-eared Bulbuls primarily feed on insects, while they primarily take fruits and seeds in the fall and winter.

Reaching a length of about 28cm, Brown-eared Bulbuls are grayish-brown, with brown cheeks (the "brown ears" of the common name) and a long tail. While they prefer forested areas, they readily adapt to urban and rural environments, and their noisy squeaking calls are a familiar sound in most areas of Japan.

[edit] References

BirdLife International (2004). Ixos amaurotis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 10 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

Gray, G.R. (1840): A list of the genera of birds with an indication of the typical species of each genus compiled from various sources, 1st edition:28. London. Available at Gallica (search for "Gray")

Ixos amaurotis (TSN 560618). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 24 January 2006.

Moyle, Robert G. & Marks, Ben D. (2006): Phylogenetic relationships of the bulbuls (Aves: Pycnonotidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40(3): Pages 687-695. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.04.015 (HTML abstract)