Alophoixus phaeocephalus
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The yellow-bellied bulbul (Alophoixus phaeocephalus) is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The yellow-bellied bulbul was originally described in the genus Ixos and alternatively classified in the now defunct genus Trichixos. It was later placed in the genus Criniger until moved to the genus Alophoixus in 2009. Alternate names for the yellow-bellied bulbul include the crestless white-throated bulbul, grey-capped bulbul, grey-headed bearded bulbul, grey-headed bulbul, white-throated bulbul and yellow-bellied bearded-bulbul. The common name 'yellow-bellied bulbul' is also used as an alternate name for the yellow-bellied greenbul. The alternate name 'grey-headed bulbul' should not be confused with the species of the same name, Pycnonotus priocephalus. The common name 'yellow-bellied bulbul' is also used as an alternate name for the white-throated bulbul. The alternate name 'white-throated bulbul' should not be confused with the species of the same name, Alophoixus flaveolus.
Four subspecies are... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 7 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 8 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 9 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Bulbul sighting in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 155th most-seen of the 231 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-bellied Bulbul in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 2 and 5 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-bellied 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.
8th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Yellow-bellied Bulbul sightings, Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 40%), Taman Negara National Park (Malaysia, about 40%) and Way Kambas National Park (Indonesia, about 20%).
Same family: Pycnonotidae
The closest relatives of the Yellow-bellied Bulbul that you can see in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (family Pycnonotidae, Bulbuls) are Yellow-vented Bulbul (about 20%), Red-eyed Bulbul (about 20%) and Straw-headed Bulbul (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-bellied Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (38 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.
