Yellow-eared bulbul

Pycnonotus penicillatus

The yellow-eared bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is an endemic resident breeder in the highlands of Sri Lanka.

This is a bird of jungle and wooded farmland. Despite its restricted range, it is quite readily found at sites such as Horton Plains and Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya. It builds its nest in a bush; two eggs is a typical clutch.

The yellow-eared bulbul is about 20 cm in length, with a long tail. It has olive upperparts and yellowish underparts. The crown of the head is grey, and there are yellow ear tufts and a yellow patch below the eye. There is a white tuft in front of the eye and the throat is also white.

Sexes are similar in plumage, but young birds are duller than adults. The flight is bouncing and woodpecker-like. Yellow-eared bulbuls feed on fruit and insects.

It was formerly placed in the monotypic genus ''Kelaartia'', named after Dr. E.F. Kelaart.
Yellow-eared bulbul (Pycnonotus penicillatus) Hakgala Botanical Gardens, Sri Lanka. Jan 20, 2015. Geotagged,Pycnonotus penicillatus,Sri Lanka,Winter,Yellow-eared bulbul

Cultural

In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as ''galu-guduwa'' or ''kaha kondaya'' in Sinhala language. It appears in a 10-rupee Sri Lankan postage stamp and can also be seen on the new LKRරු5000 note of Sri Lanka.

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Status: Near threatened
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyPycnonotidae
GenusPycnonotus
SpeciesP. penicillatus
Photographed in
Sri Lanka