Olive Bulbul

Olive Bulbul

Iole viridescens

Silhouette: PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Khao Sok National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

193 Verified sightings at Khao Sok National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,252 In all 3 parks
May Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Olive Bulbul

The olive bulbul (Iole viridescens) is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found from southern Myanmar to south-western Thailand and the Malay Peninsula. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Formerly, the olive bulbul was classified in the genera Microscelis and Hypsipetes by some authorities. The synonym Hypsipetes virescens has also been used for the Nicobar bulbul and the Sunda bulbul. Alternative names for the olive bulbul include Blyth's olive bulbul, Sumatran bulbul, and viridescent bulbul. The name 'olive bulbul' is also used as an alternative name by the yellow-bearded greenbul and the sulphur-bellied bulbul.

Three subspecies are currently recognized. The Cachar bulbul was also considered as a subspecies of the olive bulbul until it was split off and re-classified as a separate species by the IOC in 2017: Iole viridescens viridescens - Blyth, 1867: Found in southern Myanmar and south-western Thailand

Iole viridescens lekhakuni - (Deignan, 1954): Found in southern Myanmar and south-western Thailand Iole viridescens... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:24

Thailand · 2023

© Kim Chuah Lim · XC816832 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:06

Thailand · 2015

© Ross Gallardy · XC295189 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:14

Malaysia · 2023

© Wai Loon Wong · XC777026 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~40%
2 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
3 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~20%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Olive Bulbul in Khao Sok National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report an Olive Bulbul sighting in Khao Sok National Park on a given day, based on 193 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 32nd most-seen of the 213 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Olive Bulbul in Khao Sok National Park?

January and April–May

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Olive Bulbul in Khao Sok National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see an Olive Bulbul?

Between 2 and 5 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Olive Bulbul sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Khao Sok National Park the best place to see an Olive Bulbul?

3rd of 3

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Olive Bulbul sightings, Khao Sok National Park ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Khao Luang National Park (Thailand, about 40%) and Kaeng Krachan National Park (Thailand, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Olive Bulbul live in Khao Sok National Park?

Same family: Pycnonotidae

The closest relatives of the Olive Bulbul that you can see in Khao Sok National Park (family Pycnonotidae, Bulbuls) are Black-crested Bulbul (about 50%), Ochraceous Bulbul (about 50%) and Stripe-throated Bulbul (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Olive Bulbul sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Olive Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Khao Sok National Park (193 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.

← Back to Khao Sok National Park