Straw-headed Bulbul
Pycnonotus zeylanicus
A striking large brown bulbul with thick white streaks on the breast, a faded orange head, and two prominent black stripes on the face (a thin eye line and a thicker moustache). Inhabits lowland and foothill waterside forests, where it can often be detected by its wonderfully rich, bubbling song. A highly sought-after cagebird, and thus declining heavily in the wild.
Taxonomy
The straw-headed bulbul was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the starlings in the genus Sturnus and coined the binomial name Sturnus zeylanicus. Gmelin based his description on the "Ceylonese stare" that had been described in 1783 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his book A General Synopsis of Birds. The English name chosen by Latham and Gmelin's specific epithet were both based on the mistakenly belief that the species was found in Sri Lanka. In 1924 Herbert C. Robinson and C. Boden Kloss designated the type locality as Java. The straw-headed bulbul is now one of 32 species placed in the genus Pycnonotus that was introduced in 1826 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.<p>Alternate names for the straw-headed bulbul include the straw-crowned bulbul and the yellow-crowned bulbul.
- Scientific name
- Pycnonotus zeylanicus
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1789)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Pycnonotidae
- Genus
- Pycnonotus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Tiny, hyperactive songbird usually found in conifer trees. Look for black stripes on the head and bold wing pattern. The namesake golden crown is usually just a small stripe, but can be flared into an expressive fiery-orange crest when agitated. Breeds in coniferous forests, usually staying high in trees. In migration and winter, often joins mixed flocks of other songbirds in a wider variety of wooded habitats. Very active; often hovers and flicks wings as it forages. Listen for extremely high-pitched call notes.
Yellow-breasted Forest Robin
Stiphrornis mabirae
A short-tailed understory robin with a bright yellow-orange throat. Also shows a dark-green back, buff belly, and a white spot in front of the eye. Most often encountered by its song: a duet, in which the male gives high-pitched whistles and the female makes an accompanying chatter. Similar to Orange-breasted Forest Robin (potentially very limited overlap in range), but underparts more extensively yellowish-orange. Otherwise most likely to be confused with Lowland Akalat, but can always be distinguished by the white spot in front of the eye, as well as the dark-green rather than rufous-brown back, and the buff rather than white belly.
Rufous Vanga
Schetba rufa
Chunky mid-sized vanga with boldly rufous, black, and white coloration. Males have a black hood, whereas females have a black cap and white throat. Found in both dry forest and rainforest, though more common in dry forest. Generally sluggish, and often perches at middle levels for long periods. Can become aggressive toward other birds that enter its territory. Large cup nest is often conspicuously placed in a low crotch of a tree. Song is a long, descending, musical trill.
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