Yellow-browed bulbul

Appearance

This bulbul is about 20 cm long, lacks a crest and has the upperparts olive green with a prominent yellow brow and goggle with the underparts being all yellow. The sexes do not differ in plumage. The bill is black and the iris is reddish brown. The population in the northern Western Ghats is paler yellow than the populations further south. A somewhat disjunct population is found in the Eastern Ghats. Southwestern Sri Lankan populations are greener while the northern populations are included in the nominate subspecies.

Naming

Three subspecies are recognised within its range and its generic placement has changed over time with some considering it as a sole species in the genus "Acritillas".

Distribution

The yellow-browed bulbul has been considered as the wet-zone counterpart of the dry-zone white-browed bulbul. It is found mainly below the forest canopy of the hill forests and plantations in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. They also occur in parts of the Eastern Ghats including the Kolli hills, Nallamalas and parts of Tirupathi and Mamandur regions in Andhra Pradesh.

Behavior

Yellow-browed bulbuls are found in pairs or small groups and call loudly. The calls include a whistle like calls and sharp "pick-wick" notes. They feed mainly on berries and insects. The breeding season is during the dry spell before the monsoons, mainly January to May. The nest is a cup built in a low fork covered with moss and cobwebs on the outside, giving the appearance of a large White-eye nest, and lined with fine root fibres. The typical clutch is 3 eggs in India and 2 in Sri Lanka. In Silent Valley National Park of India 92.16% of nests were having two eggs. Peak breeding in the Silent Valley National Park of Kerala was found in January and February. About a week is taken for building the nest and the eggs are incubated for about 13 days. The eggs are pale pink or white with reddish brown speckling. The eggs hatch synchronously and the nestlings fledge after about 13 days. Nestlings are fed with caterpillars, soft insects and berries.