Pycnonotus leucogenys
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The Himalayan bulbul (Pycnonotus leucogenys), or white-cheeked bulbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family found in Central and South Asia. The Himalayan bulbul is considered to belong to a superspecies along with the white-eared bulbul, white-spectacled bulbul, African red-eyed bulbul, Cape bulbul, and common bulbul. The alternate name, white-cheeked bulbul, is also used by the white-eared bulbul.
The Himalayan bulbul is about 18 cm in length, with a wingspan of 25.5–28 cm and an average weight of 30 g. Its head, throat, and crest are black and white. The back, side, and lengthy tail are brown, the underside is pale yellow. Sexes have similar plumage. The song is a beautiful 4-part whistle, which resembles an accelerated oriole whistle.
The species occurs in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent and some adjoining areas. It is found predominantly in Kashmir and near the Himalayas. The Himalayan bulbul frequents forests and shrubland and also comes into gardens and parks.
The Himalayan bulbul feeds on insects and other small invertebrates, as well as berries... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Langtang National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 3 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 4 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 5 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-cheeked Bulbul sighting in Chitwan National Park on a given day, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 197th most-seen of the 367 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-cheeked Bulbul in Chitwan National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–June and August–December, the lowest months. Those are among Chitwan National Park's wettest months, with about 340 mm of rain a month against almost none in November.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-cheeked Bulbul sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate White-cheeked Bulbul sightings, Chitwan National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Jim Corbett National Park (India, about 60%), Langtang National Park (Nepal, about 30%) and Royal Bardia National Park (Nepal, under 5%).
Same genus: Pycnonotus
The closest relatives of the White-cheeked Bulbul that you can see in Chitwan National Park (genus Pycnonotus, Typical Bulbuls) are Red-whiskered Bulbul (about 60%) and Black-crested Bulbul (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-cheeked Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Chitwan National Park (56 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
