Tricholestes criniger
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The hairy-backed bulbul (Tricholestes criniger) is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is the sole species contained within the monotypic genus Tricholestes. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The hairy-backed bulbul was originally described in the genus Brachypodius (a synonym for Pycnonotus). Alternatively, some authorities have classified the hairy-backed bulbul in the genera Trichophorus (a synonym for Criniger) and Hypsipetes.
Found on western Sumatra Found on Borneo The hairy-backed bulbul is a small (16–17 cm long, weigh 12–21 g), relatively quiet bulbul with a slightly rounded tail and strong rictal bristles. It is olive above and yellowish below... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 7 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 9 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hairy-backed Bulbul sighting in Kinabalu Park on a given day, based on 115 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 95th most-seen of the 247 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.
July–August and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hairy-backed Bulbul in Kinabalu Park on a given day, against under 5% in September and November–June, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hairy-backed 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.
9th of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Hairy-backed Bulbul sightings, Kinabalu Park ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Khao Luang National Park (Thailand, about 40%), Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 40%) and Taman Negara National Park (Malaysia, about 30%).
Same family: Pycnonotidae
The closest relatives of the Hairy-backed Bulbul that you can see in Kinabalu Park (family Pycnonotidae, Bulbuls) are Ochraceous Bulbul (about 50%), Flavescent Bulbul (about 20%) and Yellow-vented Bulbul (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hairy-backed Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Kinabalu Park (115 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.
