Red-eyed Bulbul

Red-eyed Bulbul

Pycnonotus brunneus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

387 Verified sightings at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary From 2019 to 2026
4,598 In all 12 parks
June Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Red-eyed Bulbul

The Asian red-eyed bulbul (Pycnonotus brunneus) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Alternate names for the Asian red-eyed bulbul include the brown bulbul (also used for the common bulbul), red-eyed brown bulbul, and red-eyed bulbul (also used for the African red-eyed bulbul). Two subspecies are recognized: Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:24

Malaysia · 2026

© Ding Li Yong · XC1076880 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Song0:47

Indonesia · 2023

© Okamoto Keita Sin · XC838637 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:51

Malaysia · 2018

© Brendan Sloan · XC448195 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~70%
2 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~50%
3 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~50%
4 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~40%
5 Bako National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~40%
6 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~30%
7 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%
8 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
9 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~20%
10 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
11 Tanjung Puting National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
12 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~30%
2 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Red-eyed Bulbul in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red-eyed Bulbul sighting in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, based on 387 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 60th most-seen of the 231 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Red-eyed Bulbul in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

March–April, June–October and December

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red-eyed Bulbul in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, against about 10% in January–February, May and November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Red-eyed Bulbul?

Between 1 and 4 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-eyed Bulbul sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary the best place to see a Red-eyed Bulbul?

9th of 12

Of the 12 parks where we can rate Red-eyed Bulbul sightings, Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary ranks 9th at about 20%. The best odds are in Khao Luang National Park (Thailand, about 70%), Sepilok (Malaysia, about 50%) and Taman Negara National Park (Malaysia, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Red-eyed Bulbul live in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

Same genus: Pycnonotus

The closest relatives of the Red-eyed Bulbul that you can see in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (genus Pycnonotus, Typical Bulbuls) are Yellow-vented Bulbul (about 20%), Straw-headed Bulbul (about 10%) and Olive-winged Bulbul (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Red-eyed Bulbul sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Red-eyed Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (387 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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