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Red-whiskered Bulbul

Did you know?

The Red-whiskered Bulbul is a native species of China but was introduced to Australia in the early 1900s.

Calls
The call, a characteristic descending musical whistle, often indicates a bird's presence long before it is seen.
Facts and Figures
Research Species: 
No
Minimum Size: 
20cm
Maximum Size: 
22cm
Average size: 
21cm
Average weight: 
32g
Breeding season: 
August to March
Clutch Size: 
2 to 4
Conservation Status
Federal: 
Introduced
NSW: 
Introduced
NT: 
Introduced
QLD: 
Introduced
SA: 
Introduced
TAS: 
Introduced
VIC: 
Introduced
WA: 
Introduced
Basic Information
Scientific Name: 
Pycnonotus jocosus
Featured bird groups: 
Introduced birds
Atlas Number: 
990
What does it look like?
Description: 

The Red-whiskered Bulbul is not easily mistaken for any other species of bird in Australia. It has a pointed black crest, white cheeks, brown back, reddish under tail coverts and a long white-tipped tail. The red whisker mark, from which it gets its name, is located below the eye, but is not always easy to see. Both male and female birds are similar in plumage, while young birds are duller with a greyish-black crown. Red-whiskered Bulbuls are not timid around humans, perching prominently on the top of bushes or on power lines.

Similar species: 

Where does it live?
Distribution: 

Red-whiskered Bulbuls are native to southern Asia, but were introduced into Sydney in 1880 and later to Melbourne around the mid-1900s. The Melbourne population has remained fairly concentrated; the birds from Sydney have spread along the east coast.

Habitat: 

Bulbuls are common in urban areas, where they inhabit parks, gardens and along creeks.

What does it do?
Feeding: 

Red-whiskered Bulbuls feed on a variety of native and introduced fruits, insects and flower buds. Groups of up to 50 or so birds may gather around a food source, although smaller groups of three to five birds are more common. Birds chatter noisily as they actively feed among the dense bushes.

Breeding: 

Red-whiskered Bulbuls build an open cup nest of rootlets, bark and leaves, lined with soft fibre. The nest is usually placed in a low tree fork. Two or three broods may be reared in a season. Both birds incubate the eggs and care for the young birds. The eggs are pale pink, streaked and spotted with shades of red.

References: 
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia.
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds
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