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White-eared bulbul

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White-eared bulbul
In Keoladeo National Park, Rajastan, India
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Infraorder: Passerides
Family: Pycnonotidae
Genus: Pycnonotus
Species:
P. leucotis
Binomial name
Pycnonotus leucotis
(Gould, 1836)
Native range of P. leucotis (light green) and P. leucogenys (dark green) in the South Asian region
Synonyms
  • Ixos leucotis
  • Pycnonotus leucogenys leucotis

The white-eared bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis), or white-cheeked bulbul, or Iraqi bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family. It is found in south-western Asia from India to the Arabian peninsula.

Taxonomy and systematics

The white-eared bulbul was originally described in the genus Ixos. The white-eared bulbul is considered to belong to a superspecies along with the Himalayan bulbul, white-spectacled bulbul, African red-eyed bulbul, Cape bulbul, and the common bulbul.[2] Formerly, some authorities considered the white-eared bulbul to be a subspecies of the Himalayan Bulbul. The alternate name, white-cheeked bulbul, is also used by the Himalayan bulbul. In Iran it is called Date Bulbul and it used to be only found in the southern part of the country; in recent years people in Tehran, the capital of Iran, also refer to it as "Tehran Bulbul".[3] >

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized:[4]

  • Arabian white-cheeked bulbul (P. l. mesopotamia) - Ticehurst, 1918: Found in north-eastern Arabia, southern Iraq and south-western Iran
  • P. l. leucotis - (Gould, 1836): Found in southern Iran, southern Afghanistan, Pakistan and north-western India

Description

This species is very similar in appearance to the Himalayan white-cheeked bulbul but smaller and uncrested, and with a larger white cheek patch. It has a pale bare eye-ring. The vent is orange yellow. Sexes are alike.

It is found in scrub forest and gardenland. Also found in flocks or pairs in the mangroves, gorging on the fruits of the Meswak bush. Usually seen in pairs or small groups. It feeds on fruits and insects, and breeds in March–June.

Conservation

The species is listed by the IUCN as “Least Concern” as of 2018 but population sizes are declining.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2018). "Pycnonotus leucotis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22712687A132101885. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22712687A132101885.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Himalayan Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucogenys)". www.hbw.com. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  3. ^ http://fhnews.ir/fa/news/79802/The Bulbul of Dates
  4. ^ "Bulbuls « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  • Pocket Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (1999) and multiple reprints. Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp, Oxford University Press, New Delhi