Pycnonotus gularis
In 3 days ~10%
The flame-throated bulbul (Rubigula gularis) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds and the state bird of Goa. It is found only in the forests of the Western Ghats in southern India. Formerly included as a subspecies of Pycnonotus flaviventris, it has since been elevated to the status of a full species. They are olive-backed with yellow undersides, a triangular orange-red throat and a white iris that stands out against the contrasting black head. They are usually seen foraging in groups in the forest canopy for berries and small insects. They have a call often with two or three tinkling notes that can sound similar to those produced by the red-whiskered bulbul. The species has been referred to in the past by names such as ruby-throated bulbul and black-headed bulbul, but these are ambiguous and could apply to other species such as Rubigula flaviventris and R. dispar.
The species was described by John Gould in December 1835 (but published in 1836) based on a specimen in the Zoological Society of London that had been obtained from Travancore State. Gould noted that it was very similar to Brachypus dispar (now Rubigula dispar) that had been... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Eravikulam National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Flame-throated Bulbul sighting in Nagarhole National Park on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 207th most-seen of the 272 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Flame-throated Bulbul in Nagarhole National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to January, the lowest months. That is one of Nagarhole National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 270 mm in July.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Flame-throated 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.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Flame-throated Bulbul sightings, Nagarhole National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Periyar National Park (India, about 20%).
Same genus: Pycnonotus
The closest relatives of the Flame-throated Bulbul that you can see in Nagarhole National Park (genus Pycnonotus, Typical Bulbuls) are Red-whiskered Bulbul (about 60%) and White-browed Bulbul (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Flame-throated Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Nagarhole National Park (43 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.
