From Opus

Subspecies nigerrimus, Adult left & Juvenile
Photo by Mark Bruce
Manjhou, Kenting National Park, Taiwan

Alternative name: Himalayan Black Bulbul

Hypsipetes leucocephalus

[edit] Identification

Adult

• 23.5-26.5cm
• Slate grey or black (depending on the race)
• Red beak, legs, and feet
• Fluffy crest
• Long tail
  

Sexes similar

White headed subspecies
Photo by James Eaton
Emei Shan, Sichuan, China

Young

• No crest
• Whitish underparts
• Grey breast band
• Upperparts are tinged brown

[edit] Distribution

From the Himalayas of Afghanistan to Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma to China and Indochina. Occurs also on Taiwan.

[edit] Taxonomy

Formerly regarded as conspecific with Madagascar Bulbul. Furthermore, Square-tailed Bulbul was recently split from this species.

[edit] Subspecies

About 10 subspecies recognized^[1]:

• H. l. psaroides: Himalayas of northern Afghanistan to eastern Assam and south-eastern Tibet
• H. l. nigrescens: Eastern Assam (south of the Brahmaputra) to western Burma
• H. l. ambiens: North-eastern Burma to south-western China (western Yunnan in Irrawaddy watershed)
• H. l. concolor: Eastern Burma to south-western China, eastern Thailand, Laos and southern Vietnam
• H. l. sinensis: Eastern Burma to south-western China; winters to Thailand and southern Laos
• H. l. stresemanni: South-western China (Likiang Mountains of north-western Yunnan) to Thailand and southern Laos
• H. l. leucothorax: Eastern China (Sichuan to Shaanxi and Hebei); winters to southern Laos
• H. l. leucocephalus: Maritime provinces of south-eastern China
• H. l. perniger: Hainan (southern China)
• H. l. nigerrimus: Taiwan

• leucothorax, leucocephalus and stresemanni have white heads, the remainder have all black heads.

[edit] Habitat

Tall moist-deciduous and evergreen forest up to 2500m.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes seeds, insects and berries.

[edit] Breeding

It builds its nest in a tree or bush; 2-4 eggs are laid.

[edit] In Culture

In indigenous Taiwanese culture the Black Bulbul is revered as the Fire Bird. It is said that the Black Bulbul brought a glowing red coal to the people and thus gave them fire. The hot coal forever left the Black Bulbul with a brilliant coral-red coloured bill.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Wikipedia
3. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• Arthur Grosset's Birds