Yellow-Browed Bulbul

Yellow-Browed Bulbul

Acritillas indica

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
at Periyar National Park

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

3,225 Verified sightings at Periyar National Park From 2019 to 2026
5,296 In all 9 parks
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Yellow-Browed Bulbul

The yellow-browed bulbul (Acritillas indica), or golden-browed bulbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in the forests of southern India and Sri Lanka. The yellow-browed bulbul is mainly yellow on the underside and olive above with a distinct yellow brow. They are easily located by their loud calls but tend to skulk within foliage below the forest canopy. While its taxonomic classification has changed over time, it is currently the sole species within the monotypic genus Acritillas which is closely related to Hemixos.

The yellow-browed bulbul was originally described in the genus Trichophorus (a synonym for Criniger) in 1839 by T. C. Jerdon on the basis of specimens from the Wynaad region and given the original binomial (or protonym) of Trichophorus indicus. Formerly, the yellow-browed bulbul was classified in the genus Iole as two separate species but a study determined that this species is exceptional and it is now placed in the monotypic genus Acritillas. Some authorities have included the yellow-browed bulbul in the genus Hypsipetes but a 2018 molecular phylogenetic study indicated the nearest living relative... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:15

India · 2023

© dbeadle · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:09

India · 2025

© Kavya · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:40

India · 2022

© Seema Merchant · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~70%
2 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
3 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
4 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
5 Eravikulam National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
6 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
7 Udawalawe National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
8 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
9 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
2 Coimbatore 🇮🇳 India
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-Browed Bulbul in Periyar National Park?

Likely

About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-Browed Bulbul sighting in Periyar National Park on a given day, based on 3,225 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 227 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Yellow-Browed Bulbul in Periyar National Park?

January

In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-Browed Bulbul in Periyar National Park on a given day, against about 30% in July and December, the lowest months. That is one of Periyar National Park's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain against 410 mm in August.

What time of day is best to see a Yellow-Browed Bulbul?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-Browed 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.

Is Periyar National Park the best place to see a Yellow-Browed Bulbul?

2nd of 9

Of the 9 parks where we can rate Yellow-Browed Bulbul sightings, Periyar National Park ranks 2nd at about 60%. The best odds are in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (Sri Lanka, about 70%).

Which relatives of the Yellow-Browed Bulbul live in Periyar National Park?

Same family: Pycnonotidae

The closest relatives of the Yellow-Browed Bulbul that you can see in Periyar National Park (family Pycnonotidae, Bulbuls) are Red-whiskered Bulbul (about 70%), Flame-throated Bulbul (about 20%) and Square-tailed Bulbul (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Yellow-Browed Bulbul sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Yellow-Browed Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Periyar National Park (3,225 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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