Alternative name: Yellow-bellied Greenbul (Disambiguation: Not to be confused with Yellow-bellied Greenbul (Chlorocichla flaviventris)
- Phyllastrephus poliocephalus
Identification
20-23 cm (7¾-9 in). A large, distinctive greenbul.
- Grey top of head, neck and side of face
- Indistinctive pale loral line, narrow white eyering
- Grey-green mantle, becoming more green on back and scapulars, brighter green on rump and uppertail-coverts
- Olive-brown upperwing-coverts, yellow-olive flight-feathers
- Olive-brown tail with green edges and narrow yellow tips (except on central feather pair)
- White throat
- Bright yellow underparts, including undertail-coverts
Sexes similar, females are smaller than males. Juveniles undescribed.
Distribution
Southwestern Cameroon and southeastern Nigeria.
A restricted-range species. Common where habitat still intact.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Forms a superspecies with Yellow-streaked Greenbul and has also been considered conspecific.
Habitat
Tall forest, less frequent in secondary forest.
Occurs between 500 to 1800 m, sometimes up to 2000 m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on insects.
Forages usually in small but noisy groups, rarely singly. Often in mixed-species flocks.
Searches for food mainly in middle level of forest and in the canopy. Pumps tail and flicks wings frequently.
Breeding
A nest with young birds was recorded in April, birds in breeding condition in November and January to March. No other information.
Movements
No information.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrived April 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Grey-headed Greenbul. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Grey-headed_Greenbul
