Pycnonotus aurigaster
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The sooty-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster) is a species of songbird in the Bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in south-eastern Asia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. A medium-sized songbird measuring between 18 and 21 centimetres in length with a short crest, the sooty-headed bulbul can be distinguished from the similar red-vented bulbul by its tan front, less extensive area of black on its head and gold-colored vent in certain subspecies. Its call is a series of whistled notes similar in tone to that of the red-whiskered bulbul, but delivered in a more hurried manner.
The sooty-headed bulbul was originally described in the genus Turdus. Alternate names for the sooty-headed bulbul include the golden-vented bulbul and several names used for other species (black-capped, red-vented, white-eared and yellow-vented bulbul).
Found in south-eastern China Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 5 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 7 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Cuc Phuong National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 9 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanoi | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 2 | Xiuying District | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | Kunming | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Quanzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 5 | Đà Nẵng | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 6 | Shantou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 7 | Guangzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 8 | Xiamen City | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 9 | Phnom Penh | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | |
| 10 | Tuen Mun | 🇨🇳 China |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gembira Loka Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Bandung Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Sea World Indonesia | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Edward Youde Aviary | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty-headed Bulbul sighting in Gunung Leuser National Park on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 166 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and December
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty-headed Bulbul in Gunung Leuser National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September, the lowest month.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sooty-headed 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.
3rd of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Sooty-headed Bulbul sightings, Gunung Leuser National Park ranks 3rd at about 30%. The best odds are in Tangkoko Nature Reserve (Indonesia, about 40%) and Bali Barat National Park (Indonesia, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Pycnonotus
The closest relatives of the Sooty-headed Bulbul that you can see in Gunung Leuser National Park (genus Pycnonotus, Typical Bulbuls) are Yellow-vented Bulbul (about 50%), Red-eyed Bulbul (about 30%) and Orange-spotted Bulbul (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sooty-headed Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Gunung Leuser National Park (33 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.
