Black-crested Bulbul

Black-crested Bulbul

Pycnonotus flaviventris

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Khao Sok National Park

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

461 Verified sightings at Khao Sok National Park From 2019 to 2026
12,834 In all 16 parks
April 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 Khao Sok National Park?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Black-crested Bulbul sighting in Khao Sok National Park on a given day, based on 461 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 213 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black-crested Bulbul in Khao Sok National Park?

April

In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Black-crested Bulbul in Khao Sok National Park on a given day, against about 30% in June and November, the lowest months.

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 Khao Sok National Park the best place to see a Black-crested Bulbul?

3rd of 16

Of the 16 parks where we can rate Black-crested Bulbul sightings, Khao Sok National Park ranks 3rd at about 50%. The best odds are in Khao Yai National Park (Thailand, about 80%) and Kaeng Krachan National Park (Thailand, about 70%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Black-crested Bulbul live in Khao Sok National Park?

Same genus: Pycnonotus

The closest relatives of the Black-crested Bulbul that you can see in Khao Sok National Park (genus Pycnonotus, Typical Bulbuls) are Stripe-throated Bulbul (about 40%), Red-eyed Bulbul (about 30%) and Ayeyarwady 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 Khao Sok National Park (461 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.

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