tags: Common Bulbul, Pycnonotus barbatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Common Bulbul, also known as the Pepperbird among other names, Pycnonotus barbatus, photographed in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, Africa. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Dan Logen, 7 August 2006 [larger view].
Nikon D2X, 200-400 VR lens at 400 mm. ISO 400. 1/250 f/5.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
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... I think that's a Dark-Capped (Blackeyed) bulbul - Pycnonotus tricolor ... I see the African Red-Eyed Bulbul daily
Greetings from Namibia
As above ,,,,,,,,
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus layardi
can you provide field marks for my other readers, who are silent on this particular bird. tell me how to distinguish this bird from others that look similar and are found in the area?
The structure and back color put this bird in the genus Pycnonotus. The yellow vent and lack of a pronounced eye ring eliminate all members of the genus except Common (Dark-capped) and Brown-breasted. The latter has a differently patterned face.
Is there some disagreement still present on the species level taxonomy in this group? We have two different species names given, and yet the last post includes Common and Dark-capped together.
If so, it would hardly be the only group in which this is true.
#5
Yes, there appears to be a lot of disagreement about the species status of this group. P. barbatus is a widespread African bird with many subspecies with different authorities giving some/all specific status. There are also many "English" names. Birds of the Western Palearctic (BWP)
lists 6 ssp with a further unnamed 8-11 Afrotropical ssp's so even the number of ssp's is not agreed.English names I have found are Garden, Common, Yellow-vented, Dark-capped, Black-eyed and White-cheeked, with probably many more local ones as well.
I have two East Africa bird books. Birds of East Africa (Stevenson and Fanshawe) lists Pycnonotus barbatus as Common Bulbul, with Black-eyed Bulbul as an alternate name. It mentions two races, tricolor and dodsoni.
Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania (Zimmerman,et al) calls P. barbatus the "Common or Dark-capped Bulbul" and lists three races, tricolor, dodsoni and layardi.