Black bulbul

Appearance

The black bulbul is 24–25 cm in length, with a long tail. The body plumage ranges from slate grey to shimmering black, depending on the race. The beak, legs, and feet are all orange and the head has a black fluffy crest. Sexes are similar in plumage, but young birds lack the crest, have whitish underparts with a grey breast band, and have a brown tint to the upperparts. They have a black streak behind the eye and on the ear coverts. Although males and females are indistinguishable to the human eye, there are significant differences in the ultraviolet reflectivity of the plumage making them readily distinguishable to the bulbuls themselves.

Naming

Ten subspecies are currently recognized, although the reproductive isolation mechanisms such as vocalization and geographic distributions of these populations still remain to be studied:

⤷  ''H. l. psaroides'' - Vigors, 1831: Originally described as a separate species. Found along the Himalayas from the Kunar Valley and northern Pakistan through Arunachal Pradesh and the central Himalayas to north-western Myanmar
⤷  Assam black bulbul - Baker, ECS, 1917: Found in Assam and Manipur , and the Chin Hills
⤷  Burmese black bulbul - Blyth, 1849: Originally described as a separate species. Found from eastern Myanmar and southern Yunnan through Indochina
⤷  ''H. l. ambiens'' - : Found in north-eastern Myanmar and western Yunnan
⤷  ''H. l. sinensis'' - : Found in northern Yunnan
⤷  ''H. l. stresemanni'' - : Members of this race have white heads. Found in central Yunnan
⤷  ''H. l. leucothorax'' - : Members of this race have white heads. Found in central China
⤷  ''H. l. leucocephalus'' - : Members of this race have white heads. Found in south-eastern China
⤷  ''H. l. nigerrimus'' - : Originally described as a separate species. Found in Taiwan
⤷  ''H. l. perniger'' - R. Swinhoe, 1870: Originally described as a separate species. Found on Hainan

Distribution

This bulbul is found in broad-leaved forests, cultivation and gardens mainly in hilly areas, but Himalayan populations are known to sometimes descend into the adjoining plains in winter.

Habitat

This bulbul is found in broad-leaved forests, cultivation and gardens mainly in hilly areas, but Himalayan populations are known to sometimes descend into the adjoining plains in winter.

Reproduction

It builds its nest in a tree or bush; the nest is a cup placed in a fork and made from grasses, dry leaves, mosses, lichens and cobwebs. The lining is made up of ferns, rootlets and other soft material. Both sexes participate in nest construction. Two or three eggs form the usual clutch.

Food

Black bulbuls feed mainly on seeds and insects, and they are often seen in small groups, either roosting or flying about in search of food. They are particularly fond of berries. They are known to feed on a wide range of berries including ''Celtis'', ''Rosa'', ''Melia'' and ''Ehretia'' in the Himalayas. They feed on the nectar of ''Salmalia'', ''Erythrina'', ''Rhododendron'' and other species. They make aerial sallies for insects.