Pycnonotus nigricans
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 5 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 7 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 8 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 9 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luanda | 🇦🇴 Angola | |
| 2 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Red-eyed Bulbul sighting in Hwange National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 190th most-seen of the 308 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–March, May and August–October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Red-eyed Bulbul in Hwange National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, June–July and November–January, the lowest months.
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.
8th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate African Red-eyed Bulbul sightings, Hwange National Park ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Waterberg Plateau Park (Namibia, about 80%), Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 60%) and Golden Gate Highlands National Park (South Africa, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Red-eyed Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Hwange National Park (21 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.
