African Red-eyed Bulbul

African Red-eyed Bulbul

Pycnonotus nigricans

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Johannesburg

In 3 days <5%

11 Verified sightings at Johannesburg
2,182 In all 9 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the African Red-eyed Bulbul

The African red-eyed bulbul or black-fronted bulbul (Pycnonotus nigricans) is a species of songbird in the family Pycnonotidae. It is found in south-western Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and riverine scrub. It feeds on fruit (including Ficus), flowers, nectar, and insects.

The African red-eyed bulbul ranges from 19 to 21 centimeters (7-8 inches) in length and weighs 30-48 grams (1-1.7 ounces). Its call is a series of loud fluty notes, usually given only by the male. The African red-eyed bulbul was originally described in the genus Turdus. The African red-eyed bulbul is considered to belong to a superspecies along with the Himalayan bulbul, white-eared bulbul, white-spectacled bulbul, Cape bulbul, and the common bulbul. The alternate name of 'red-eyed bulbul' is also used by the Asian red-eyed bulbul. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:21

South Africa · 2022

© Tony Archer · XC705587 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:30

South Africa · 2012

© Nature sounds by Simply Birding · XC647982 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:47

South Africa · 2019

© Frank Lambert · XC516037 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~80%
2 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~60%
3 Golden Gate Highlands National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~50%
4 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~50%
5 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
6 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~20%
7 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
8 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
9 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Luanda 🇦🇴 Angola
<5%
2 Pretoria 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
3 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an African Red-eyed Bulbul in Johannesburg?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Red-eyed Bulbul sighting in Johannesburg on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 194th most-seen of the 219 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an African Red-eyed Bulbul in Johannesburg?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Red-eyed Bulbul in Johannesburg on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see an African Red-eyed Bulbul?

Between 3 and 6 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Red-eyed 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 Johannesburg the best place to see an African Red-eyed Bulbul?

Among the best

Of the 3 cities where we can rate African Red-eyed Bulbul sightings, Johannesburg ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Luanda (Angola, under 5%) and Pretoria (South Africa, under 5%).

Where does the African Red-eyed Bulbul sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the African Red-eyed Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Johannesburg (11 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.

← Back to Johannesburg