Pycnonotus leucogenys
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-cheeked Bulbul sighting in Kathmandu on a given day, based on 695 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 48th most-seen of the 312 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-cheeked Bulbul in Kathmandu on a given day, against about 10% in March and July–January, the lowest months. That is one of Kathmandu's driest months, with about 35 mm of rain against 280 mm in July.
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.
5th of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate White-cheeked Bulbul sightings, Kathmandu ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Dehradun (India, about 70%), Srinagar (India, about 60%) and Jammu (India, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-cheeked Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Kathmandu (695 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.
