Scaly-breasted Bulbul

Scaly-breasted Bulbul

Rubigula squamatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Khao Sok National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

25 Verified sightings at Khao Sok National Park From 2019 to 2026
468 In all 7 parks
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Scaly-breasted Bulbul

The scaly-breasted bulbul (Rubigula squamata) is a species of songbird in the bulbul family. It is found from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

The scaly-breasted bulbul was originally described in the genus Ixos and later moved to Pycnonotus. Pycnonotus was found to be polyphyletic in molecular phylogenetic studies and three bulbul species, including the scaly-breasted bulbul, moved to Ixodia. In 2025 AviList merged Ixodia into a more broadly defined Rubigula.

Found on the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
2 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
3 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
4 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
5 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
6 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
7 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Kuala Lumpur Bird Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Scaly-breasted Bulbul in Khao Sok National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Scaly-breasted Bulbul sighting in Khao Sok National Park on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 145th most-seen of the 213 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

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

February and September–December

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scaly-breasted Bulbul in Khao Sok National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and March–August, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Scaly-breasted Bulbul?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scaly-breasted 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.

Which relatives of the Scaly-breasted Bulbul live in Khao Sok National Park?

Same genus: Rubigula

The closest relatives of the Scaly-breasted Bulbul that you can see in Khao Sok National Park (genus Rubigula, Rubigula Bulbuls) are Spectacled Bulbul (about 30%) and Gray-bellied Bulbul (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Scaly-breasted Bulbul sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Scaly-breasted Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Khao Sok National Park (25 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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