Red-vented Bulbul Identification

A medium-sized songbird with a black head and crest, brownish upperparts with white scaling, and a bright red vent (not always visible).

Birds in the eastern Himalayas (and introduced to Hawaii) have brownish ear patches.

A medium-sized, long-tailed songbird with a black throat, head, and crest; a brownish breast and back with white feather edging; a white rump; and a sometimes-hard-to-see red vent.

This bulbul’s white rump is often more conspicuous than the namesake red vent.

Scaly brown breast feathers give way to a white belly and red vent. Note the long, white-tipped tail.

Often seen in pairs, perched atop trees, bushes, or wires.

White feather edging on the back wears off over the course of the year, creating darker, more uniform-looking upperparts.

Common around human habitation in both its native and introduced ranges.

Builds a cup nest made of rootlets, twigs, dead leaves, and grasses; and lined with hair and other fine material.

Usually occurs in pairs or small groups during the breeding season.