IDENTITY:

The red-vented bulbul is easily identified by its short crest giving the head a squarish appearance. The body is dark brown with a scaly pattern while the head is darker or black. The rump is white while the vent is red. The black tail is tipped in white.

HABIT AND HABITAT:

Bold,tame and quarrelsome. Keeps n pairs or in small loose flock. Open deciduous forest, secondary growth, gardens and light scrub.

FOOD:

Red-vented Bulbul: Their diet includes leaves, flowers, buds, nectar, pollen, fruits, berries and figs, insects and spiders. They may sit on an exposed branch to hunt winged insects, glean bark and leaves, and chase insects on the ground. They forage in trees, shrubs and bushes, gathering food while perched on twigs or stems, although they readily hover, albeit briefly.

VOICE:

Utters a cheery be-care-ful or be quick-quick; alarm call is a sharp repetitive poop

INFO:

The red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) is a member of the bulbul family of passerines. It is resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Tibet. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world and has established itself in the wild on several Pacific islands including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Hawaii. It has also established itself in parts of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, the United States and Argentina. It is included in the list of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.