Black-crested Bulbul

Black-crested Bulbul

Pycnonotus flaviventris

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Kuala Lumpur

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

23 Verified sightings at Kuala Lumpur
12,834 In all 16 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black-crested Bulbul

The black-crested bulbul (Rubigula flaviventris) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found from the Indian subcontinent to southeast Asia. The black-crested bulbul was originally described in the genus Vanga and later moved to the genus Pycnonotus. Pycnonotus was found to be polyphyletic in recent molecular phylogenetic studies and five bulbuls, including the black-crested bulbul, were moved to Rubigula.

Until 2008, the black-crested bulbul was considered as conspecific with the black-capped, ruby-throated, flame-throated and Bornean bulbuls, but these are all now treated as distinct. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:07

Vietnam · 2026

© Tim Dinh / Annambirding · XC1177457 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song1:09

China · 2026

© Bo Shunqi 薄顺奇 · XC1095764 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Uncertain0:27

Thailand · 2025

© Peter Ericsson · XC973205 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~80%
2 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~70%
3 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~50%
4 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~50%
5 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~50%
6 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~40%
7 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
~40%
8 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
9 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~40%
10 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
11 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
12 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
13 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
14 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
15 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
16 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Dehradun 🇮🇳 India
<5%
2 Guwahati 🇮🇳 India
<5%
3 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
4 Bangkok 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
5 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Kuala Lumpur Bird Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia In captivity
2 Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens 🇨🇳 China In captivity
3 Penang Bird Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia In captivity
4 Edward Youde Aviary 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-crested Bulbul in Kuala Lumpur?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-crested Bulbul sighting in Kuala Lumpur on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 168th most-seen of the 228 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black-crested Bulbul in Kuala Lumpur?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-crested Bulbul in Kuala Lumpur on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Black-crested Bulbul?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-crested 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 Kuala Lumpur the best place to see a Black-crested Bulbul?

Among the best

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Black-crested Bulbul sightings, Kuala Lumpur ranks 3rd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Dehradun (India, under 5%) and Guwahati (India, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Black-crested Bulbul live in Kuala Lumpur?

Same genus: Pycnonotus

The closest relatives of the Black-crested Bulbul that you can see in Kuala Lumpur (genus Pycnonotus, Typical Bulbuls) are Yellow-vented Bulbul (about 80%), Red-eyed Bulbul (about 30%) and Olive-winged Bulbul (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Black-crested Bulbul sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black-crested Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Kuala Lumpur (23 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 Kuala Lumpur