Alternative Name: African Red-eyed Bulbul.
- Pycnonotus nigricans
Identification
Length 19-22 cm, mass 31 g
Dark, slightly crested head, black bill, prominent red eyering. Brown back and tail, yellow vent, light brown breast shading downwards to white belly.
Similar Species
Distinguished by the red eyering from the two other similar southern African bulbuls (Dark-capped and Cape).
Distribution
The Black-fronted Bulbul favours drier areas, and is thus endemic to south-western Africa, including Namibia, Botswana, west and central South Africa, south-western Angola, western Zimbabwe and extreme southern Zambia.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Pycnonotus nigricans has two subspecies[1]:
- P. n. nigricans is the western race (western South Africa, Namibia, most of Botswana, south-western Angola, western Zimbabwe and extreme southern Zambia); and
- P. n. superior which is larger than the nominate race, is darker above and the dark brown of the throat extends further down the breast (central South Africa and south-eastern Botswana).
Habitat
Dry savannah, riverine woodland, and gardens.
Behaviour
Noisy and lively like other bulbuls. Will join bird parties, very alert, and responds noisily to any perceived threat such as a mongoose or a snake.
Diet
Feeds on fruit, insects, pollen and nectar.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
- Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-fronted Bulbul. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 8 November 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-fronted_Bulbul
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
