Species group · Birds

Bulbuls

WAnimals has 2 species of bulbul, all in the family Pycnonotidae.

2 species

1 family

97 countries

62 parks

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 2.

All 2 species of bulbuls on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Pycnonotus jocosus

Common Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus

2 Least Concern

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

Recorded in 97 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

It is considered one of the most damaging invasive alien birds in the world: in Hawaii, Mauritius and several Indian Ocean islands it damages fruit crops and spreads the seeds of invasive plants that displace the native flora.
From Red-whiskered Bulbul
In southern Asia it has been kept for centuries as a cage bird and a fighting bird: in some regions contests between males were organised, a tradition that helped spread it around the world.
From Red-whiskered Bulbul
It is an excellent indicator of urbanisation: it thrives in gardens and on the edges of towns and disappears from primary forest, exactly the opposite of most birds in its family.
From Red-whiskered Bulbul
It is probably the most familiar bird in Africa: it is in almost every garden on the continent south of the Sahara, and its morning song is one of the most recognisable sounds of everyday African life.
From Common Bulbul
Its taxonomy is under review: what is called the common bulbul groups together populations that several authors already separate into three or four different species according to the colour of the area under the tail.
From Common Bulbul
It is a significant seed disperser in urban and farmed areas, and helps spread both native plants and invasive exotics.
From Common Bulbul