Red-vented bulbul

Red-vented bulbul
P. cafer haemorrhousus Sri Lanka
calls
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Infraorder:	Passerides
Family:	Pycnonotidae
Genus:	Pycnonotus
Species:	P. cafer
Binomial name
Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms
Molpastes cafer (Linnaeus, 1766) Turdus cafer Linnaeus, 1766

The red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) is a member of the

Two formerly designated races, P. c. nigropileus in southern Burma and P. c. burmanicus of northern Burma, are now considered as hybrids.[13]^[14][15]

Subspecies

Eight subspecies are recognized:^[12]

• Central Indian red-vented bulbul (P. c. humayuni) - Deignan, 1951: Found in south-eastern Pakistan, north-western and north-central India
• Punjab red-vented bulbul (P. c. intermedius) - Blyth, 1846: Originally described as a separate species. Found in Kashmir and Kohat down to the Salt Range and along the western Himalayas to Kumaon.
• P. c. bengalensis - Blyth, 1845: Originally described as a separate species. Found in the central and eastern Himalayas from Nepal to Assam, north-eastern India and Bangladesh
• P. c. stanfordi - Deignan, 1949: Found in northern Burma and south-western China
• P. c. melanchimus - Deignan, 1949: Found in south-central Burma and northern Thailand
• P. c. wetmorei - Deignan, 1960: Found in eastern India
  • P. c. saturatus - (Whistler & Kinnear, 1932): Originally described as a separate species Stelgidocichla latirostris saturata (Mearns 1914). Found in north-eastern India
• P. c. cafer - (Linnaeus, 1766): Found in southern India
• P. c. haemorrhousus - (Gmelin, JF, 1789): Found in Sri Lanka

• 
  P. c. humayuni
  Rajasthan, India
• 
  P. leucogenys x P. c. humayuni hybrid (magrathi)
• 
  Underside of P. c. bengalensis
• 
  P. c. haemorrhousus showing vent, Sri Lanka.

Description

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. It is about 20 cm in length, with a long black tail, tipped in white. The Himalayan races have a more prominent crest and are more streaked on the underside. The race intermedius of the Western Himalayas has a black hood extending to the mid-breast. The population bengalensis of the Central and Eastern Himalayas and the Gangetic plain has a dark hood, lacks the scale-like pattern on the underside and instead has dark streaks on the paler lower belly. Race stanfordi of the South Assam hills is similar to intermedius. The desert race humayuni has a paler brown mantle. The nominate race cafer is found in Peninsular India. The Northeast Indian race wetmorei is between cafer, humayuni and bengalensis. The Sri Lankan race haemorrhous (=haemorrhousus

Sexes are similar in plumage, but young birds are duller than adults.[17] The typical call has been transcribed as ginger beer, but a number of sharp single note calls sounding like pick are also produced. Their alarm calls are usually responded to and heeded by many other species of bird.^[19]

Melanistic as well as leucistic individuals have been noted.^{[20][21][22][23]} An individual with aberrant colour form was observed in Bhavans College Campus, Andheri, Mumbai.^[24]

Distribution and habitat

This is a bird of dry scrub, open forest, plains and cultivated lands.^[17] In its native range it is rarely found in mature forests. A study based on 54 localities in India concluded that vegetation is the single most important factor that determines the distribution of the species.^[25]

Red-vented bulbuls were introduced into Fiji in 1903 by indentured labourers from India, becoming widespread. They were introduced to Tonga in 1943 and became common on Samoa by 1957.^[26] They became established on the Tongan islands of Tongatapu and Niuafo'ou. They were introduced into Melbourne around 1917 but were not seen after 1942.^[27] They established in Auckland in the 1950s but were exterminated^[28] and another wild population was detected and exterminated in 2006.^[29] In 2013 more were found, and authorities offered a $1000 reward for information that led to a bird's capture.^[30] They prefer dry lowland habitat in these regions.^[31][32] They were first observed breeding on the Canary Islands in 2018.^[33] They are considered as pests because of their habit of damaging fruit crops. Methiocarb and ziram have been used to protect cultivated Dendrobium orchids in Hawaii from damage by these birds; however, they learn to avoid the repellent chemicals.^[34] They can also disperse the seeds of invasive plants like Lantana camara^[35] and Miconia calvescens.^[36][37]

P. cafer is invasive in New Caledonia. Thibault et al. (2018) finds this species to be pushing out native species but not other introduced species.^[38]: 48

Behaviour and ecology

Red-vented bulbuls feed on fruits, petals of flowers,

Their vocalizations are usually stereotyped and they call throughout the year. However, a number of distinct call types have been identified including roosting, begging, greeting, flight and two kinds of alarm calls.^[57]

They are important dispersers of seeds of plants such as Carissa spinarum.^[58]

The red-vented bulbul was among the first animals other than humans that was found to be incapable of synthesizing vitamin C.^[59][60] However, a large number of other birds were later found to likewise lack the ability to synthesize vitamin C.^[61]

Like most birds, these bulbuls are hosts to

In 19th-century India these birds were frequently kept as cage pets and for fighting especially in the Carnatic region. They would be held on the finger with a thread attached and when they fought they would seize the red feathers of the opponents.^[52]

Indians frequently tame it and carry it about the bazaars, tied with a string to the finger or to a little crutched perch, which is often made of precious metals or jade; while there are few Europeans who do not recollect

Bihu festival during the Ahom rule. This practice was banned in January 2016.^[38]

^: 49

References

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2. ^ Long, John L. (1981). Introduced Birds of the World. Agricultural Protection Board of Western Australia, 21-493
3. ^ Lowe S.; Browne M.; Boudjelas S.; De Poorter M. (2000). 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Species:A selection from the Global Invasive Species Database (PDF). The Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG).
4. ^ Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760). Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés (in French and Latin). Vol. 2. Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche. pp. 257–259, Plate 20 fig 2. The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen.
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6. ^ Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 295.
7. ^ Mayr, Ernst; Greenway, James C. Jr, eds. (1960). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 9. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 235.
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11. ^ Boie, Friedrich (1826). "Generalübersicht". Isis von Oken (in German). 19. Col 973.
12. ^ ^{a b} Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Bulbuls". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
13. ^ ^{a b} Dickinson, E.C. & R.W.R.J. Dekker (2002). "Systematic notes on Asian birds. 25. A preliminary review of the Pycnonotidae" (PDF). Zool. Verh. Leiden. 340: 93–114.
14. ^ Baker, ECS (1921). Handlist of the birds of the Indian empire. Bombay Natural History Society. pp. 41–42.
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20. ^ Joshua,Justus (1996). "An albino Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 93 (3): 586.
21. ^ Baker, ECS (1915). "An albino bulbul". Rec. Indian Mus. 11: 351–352.
22. ^ Berry, P (1894). "A curious instance of melanism". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 9 (2): 224.
23. ^ Law, SC (1921). "Melanism in the Red-vented Bulbul (Molpastes sp.)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 27 (3): 629–630.
24. ^ "Oriental Bird Club Image Database : Red-vented Bulbul » Pycnonotus cafer".
25. ^ Vijayan, VS (1975). The ecological isolation of Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) with special reference to Pycnonotus cafer cafer and P. luteolus luteolus at Point Calimere, Tamil Nadu. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Bombay.
26. ^ Watling, D (1978). "Observations on the naturalized distribution of the Red-vented Bulbul in Africa, with special reference to the Fiji islands" (PDF). Notornis. 25: 109–117. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-10-16.
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28. ^ Gill, BJ; GR Hunt & S Sirgouant. "Red-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus cafer) in New Caledonia" (PDF). Notornis. 42 (3): 214–215. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-10-18.
29. ^ "Red Vented Bulbul, Ministry for Primary Industry Pests and Diseases". Retrieved 2013-07-25.
30. ^ Labour angry at $1000 angry bird reward. 3 News NZ. 15 November 2013.
31. ^ Williams, R.N; Giddings, L.V (1984). "Differential expansion and population growth of bulbuls in Hawaii" (PDF). Wilson Bulletin. 96 (4): 647–655.
32. ^ McAllan, Ian AW & Hobcroft, D. (2005). "The further spread of introduced birds in Samoa" (PDF). Notornis. 52: 16–20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-10-18.
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34. ^ Cummings, JL; Mason, J.R.; Otis, D.L.; Ohashi, J.E. Davis T.J. (1994). "Evaluation of methiocarb, ziram, and methyl anthranilate as bird repellents applied to Dendrobium orchids" (PDF). Wildl. Soc. Bull. 22: 633–638.
35. ^ ^{a b} Bhatt, Dinesh & Anil Kumar (2001). "Foraging ecology of Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer in Haridwar, India" (PDF). Forktail. 17: 109–110. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-10-11.
36. ^ Medeiros, A. C.; Loope, L. L.; Conant, P. & McElvaney, S. (1997). "Status, ecology, and management of the invasive plant, Miconia calvescens DC (Melastomataceae) in the Hawaiian Islands" (PDF). Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap. 48: 23–36.
37. ^ Berger, A. J. (1975). "Red-whiskered and Red-vented Bulbuls on Oahu". Elepaio. 36: 16–19.
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39. ^ Johnson, J. M. (1989). "Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Linne) eating petals of Magnolia". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 86 (1): 103.
40. ^ Bharos,AMK (1999). "Attempt by Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer to feed on a young House Gecko Hemidactylus flaviviridis". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 96 (2): 320.
41. ^ Sharma, Satish Kumar (2000). "Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer feeding on tail of House Gecko Hemidactylus flaviviridis". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 97 (2): 284.
42. ^ Marathe, S (1989). "Fly-catching bulbuls". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 29 (9&10): 10–11.
43. ^ Balasubramanian, P (1991). "Bulbuls feeding on the pulp of Cassia fistula pod in Pt. Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 88 (3): 456.
44. ^ Siromoney, Gift (1963). "Bulbuls eating flowers". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 3 (6): 12.
45. ^ Kumar, Satish (1995). "Sugary exudate of Sorghum Sorghum bicolor as food of Large Grey Babbler Turdoides malcolmi (Sykes), Purplerumped Sunbird Nectarinia zeylonica (Linn.) and Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 92 (3): 421–422.
46. ^ Dixit,D (1963). "Notes on a case of the redvented bulbul, Pycnonotus cafer (linnaeus) nesting indoors". Pavo. 1 (1): 19–31.
47. ^ Inglis, CM (1922). "Curious site for nest of the Bengal Redvented Bulbul (Molpastes haemarrhous bengalensis)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 28 (4): 1135–1136.
48. ^ Lamba, BS (1976). "Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer nesting in a hole in a mud bank". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 73 (2): 395.
49. ^ Nanjappa, C (1989). "An hitherto unrecorded nesting site of a Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 86 (1): 102.
50. ^ Urfi, Abdul Jamil; Jethua, Keshubha (1998). "Unusual nest location of Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Linn.)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 95 (1): 116.
51. ^ Sivasubramanian, C; Sundaramoorthy, T (1992). "Additional nesting sites of Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Linn.)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 89 (2): 257.
52. ^ ^{a b} Jerdon, TC (1863). The Bird of India Volume 2. Part 1. Calcutta : Printed for the Author by the Military Orphan Press. pp. 93–96.
53. ^ Lamba, BS (1968). "Wire nests of Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 65 (1): 222–223.
54. ^ McCann, Charles (1932). "Notes on the nesting habits of the Red-vented Bulbul (Molpastes cafer)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35 (3): 680–681.
55. ^ Tooth, EE (1902). "A Pied-Crested Cuckoo's egg Coccystes jacobinus found in the nest of the Bengal Red-vented Bulbul Molpastes bengalensis". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 14 (1): 172.
56. ^ Prabhakarachari, N; Ravikumar, R; Ramamurthi, R (1990). "Ecobiology of redvented bulbul Pycnonotus cafer cafer in a scrub jungle at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh". Journal of Ecobiology. 2 (1): 45–50.
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58. ^ Mishra, R.M.; Gupta, P. (2005). "Frugivory and seed dispersal of Carissa spinarum (L.) in a tropical deciduous forest of central India" (PDF). Tropical Ecology. 46 (2): 151–156.
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Further reading

• Bellary, Sadananda A; Desai,RN (2000) Unusual nesting activity of the Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer: two peculiar features. Newsletter for Birdwatchers 40(6):83–84.
• Berger AJ (1964). "The breeding seasons of Indian birds". Pavo. 2 (2): 121–122.
• Chowdhury, SR; Bhattacharyya, SP (1989) Circannual variation in the alveolar histodynamics and secretory activity of the uropygial gland of the male Redvented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus). Pavo 27(1&2), 5–14.
• Dasgupta, P; Bhattacharyya, SP (1988) Circannual changes in the testicular activity of the Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus). Pavo 26(1&2):37–48.
• Deignan,HG (1949) Races of Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus) and P. aurigaster (Vieillot) in the Indo-Chinese subregion. J. Washington Acad. Sci. 39(8):273–279.
• Desai, RN (1993). "Two unusual nesting sites of the Redvented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)". In Verghese, A; Sridhar, S; Chakravarthy,AK (eds.). Bird Conservation: Strategies for the Nineties and Beyond. Ornithological Society of India, Bangalore. p. 190.
• Desai, RN (1995). "Incubation pattern in the Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer in relation to atmospheric temperature and the phase of development of eggs". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 35 (2): 35–36.
• Desai, RN (1997). "A case of an unusually delayed breeding activity of the Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 37 (2): 27.
• Dhamke Hemant A (1997). "Possible feeding on an unhatched egg by young one of Redvented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 94 (2): 413–414.
• Ganguli U (1963). "Some notes on the nesting and nest behaviour of a pair of redvented bulbuls". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 3 (10): 2–5.
• Lal, P; Thapliyal, JP (1982). "Thyroid – gonad and thyroid – body weight relationship in the red-vented bulbul, Molpastes cafer". General and Comparative Endocrinology. 48 (1): 98–103.
  PMID 7129090
  .
• Mummigatti UG; Desai RN; Desai Sarayu (2001). "Some aspects of the developmental biology of the Red Vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer; The nestling's food and feeding pattern, and the feeding behaviour of their parents". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 41 (2): 20–21.
• Rana BD (1976). "Drought food of Pycnonotus cafer and Psittacula krameri in the Rajasthan desert". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 16 (10): 5–6.
• Richards BD (1918). "Food of bulbuls". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 25 (3): 503.
• Shivnarayanan N, Naik RM (1963). "Does the male redvented bulbul, Pycnonotus cafer (linnaeus) incubate?". Pavo. 1 (2): 128–129.
• Short LL (1964). "Notes on the behaviour of the Bulbuls, Pycnonotus cafer (Linnaeus) and P. leucogenys (Gray) in captivity". Pavo. 2 (1): 26–36.
• Thirumurthi, S; Annamalai, R; Gunasekaran, V (1993). "Impact of stone crushing units on the populations of Redvented Bulbul, Pycnonotus cafer". In Verghese, A; Sridhar, S; Chakravarthy, AK (eds.). Bird Conservation: Strategies for the Nineties and Beyond. Ornithological Society of India, Bangalore. pp. 137–138.
• Vijayan, VS. (1975) Ecological isolation of bulbuls (Family Pycnonotidae, Class Aves) with special reference to Pycnonotus cafer cafer (Linn.) and Pycnonotus luteolus luteolus (Lesson) at Point Calimere, Tamil Nadu. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Bombay, Bombay.
• Watling D (1983). "The breeding biology of the Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer in Fiji". Emu. 83 (3): 173–180.
  doi:10.1071/MU9830173
  .
• Watling D (1986). "The timing of the moult in native and naturalised populations of the Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Aves, Pycnonotidae)". South Pacific J. Nat. Sci. 8: 104–124.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pycnonotus cafer.

• Red-vented bulbul videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
• Invasive species database
• New Zealand alert
• Hawaii