White-cheeked Bulbul

White-cheeked Bulbul

Pycnonotus leucogenys

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
at Dehradun

In 3 days >90%

4,015 Verified sightings at Dehradun
2,150 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the White-cheeked Bulbul

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 →

Sounds

Call1:09

India · 2025

© Peter Boesman · XC1030850 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:58

Nepal · 2023

© Greg Irving · XC843983 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:32

Nepal · 2023

© Bram Piot · XC835420 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
2 Langtang National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~30%
3 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
4 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
5 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Dehradun 🇮🇳 India
~70%
2 Srinagar 🇮🇳 India
~60%
3 Jammu 🇮🇳 India
~50%
4 Islamabad 🇵🇰 Pakistan
~40%
5 Kathmandu 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
6 Chandigarh 🇮🇳 India
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-cheeked Bulbul in Dehradun?

Very likely

About 70% of wildlife watchers report a White-cheeked Bulbul sighting in Dehradun on a given day, based on 4,015 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 4th most-seen of the 280 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-cheeked Bulbul in Dehradun?

February

In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a White-cheeked Bulbul in Dehradun on a given day, against about 60% in January, March, May–August and October, the lowest months. That is one of Dehradun's driest months, with about 45 mm of rain against 370 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see a White-cheeked Bulbul?

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.

Is Dehradun the best place to see a White-cheeked Bulbul?

Yes

Of the 6 cities where we can rate White-cheeked Bulbul sightings, Dehradun has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Srinagar (India, about 60%) and Jammu (India, about 50%).

Where does the White-cheeked Bulbul sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-cheeked Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Dehradun (4,015 verified sightings), 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.

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