Black-headed bulbul
| Black-headed bulbul | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Pycnonotidae |
| Genus: | Pycnonotus |
| Species: | P. atriceps |
| Binomial name | |
| Pycnonotus atriceps (Temminck, 1822) | |
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| Synonyms | |
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The black-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus atriceps) is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in forests in south-eastern Asia.
Taxonomy and systematics
The black-headed bulbul was originally described in the genus Turdus. Until 2008, the Andaman bulbul was also considered as a subspecies of the black-headed bulbul.[2]
Subspecies
Four subspecies are recognized:[3]
- P. a. atriceps - (Temminck, 1822): Found in north-eastern India and Bangladesh though Southeast Asia to the Greater Sunda Islands and western Philippines
- P. a. hyperemnus - (Oberholser, 1912): Found on western Sumatran islands
- P. a. baweanus - (Finsch, 1901): Originally described as a separate species. Found on Bawean (north of Java)
- P. a. hodiernus - (Bangs & Peters, JL, 1927): Originally described as a separate species. Found on Maratua Island (off eastern Borneo)
Description
The black-headed bulbul has a mainly olive-yellow plumage with a glossy bluish-black head. A grey morph where most of the olive-yellow is replaced by grey also exists. It resembles the black-crested bulbul, but has blue eyes (though not reliable in juveniles), a broad yellow tip to the tail, and never shows a crest (however, some subspecies of the black-crested are also essentially crestless, but they have red or yellow throats).
Behavior and ecology
The black-headed bulbul mainly feeds on small fruit and berries, but will also take insects. It commonly occurs in small flocks, comprising 6-8 individuals.
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2016). "Brachypodius atriceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2016.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ↑ "Species Version 1 « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
- ↑ "Bulbuls « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2017-03-12.