Common Bulbul

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Common Bulbul in Selous Game Reserve?

Likely. About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Bulbul sighting in Selous Game Reserve on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 26 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Common Bulbul?

Between 9 am and noon. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common 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.

Q: Is Selous Game Reserve the best place to see a Common Bulbul?

39th of 50. Of the 50 parks where we can rate Common Bulbul sightings, Selous Game Reserve ranks 39th at about 40%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 80%), Arusha National Park (Tanzania, about 70%) and Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 70%). All parks ranked.

Q: Which relatives of the Common Bulbul live in Selous Game Reserve?

Same order: Passeriformes. The closest relatives of the Common Bulbul that you can see in Selous Game Reserve (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Scarlet-chested Sunbird (about 40%), White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (about 40%) and Fork-tailed Drongo (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Common Bulbul sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Common Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Selous Game Reserve (11 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.

Pycnonotus barbatus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyPycnonotidae (Bulbuls)
GenusPycnonotus (Typical Bulbuls)
SpeciesPycnonotus barbatus (Common Bulbul)

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

at Selous Game Reserve

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

11 Verified sightings at Selous Game Reserve From 2019 to 2026

31,843 In all 50 parks

September Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Challenge African City Birds AfricaEasy

About the Common Bulbul

The common bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is widespread throughout most of Africa except for the very arid areas, and has recently begun breeding in southernmost Spain. Ten subspecies are recognised based on the geographical variation in plumage. Some of these were formerly considered as separate species: Dodson's bulbul, the Somali bulbul and the dark-capped bulbul.

The common bulbul was formally described and illustrated in 1789 by the French botanist René Desfontaines from a specimen collected near Algiers in Algeria. He placed it with the thrushes in the genus Turdus and coined the binomial name Turdus barbatus. The common bulbul is now one of 31 species placed in the genus Pycnonotus that was introduced in 1826 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek πυκνος/puknos meaning "thick" or "compact" with -νωτος/-nōtos meaning "-backed". The specific epithet barbatus is Latin meaning bearded. Alternate names for the common bulbul include black-eyed bulbul, black-capped bulbul and common garden bulbul.

Ten subspecies are recognised. Several of these have sometimes... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:33

Congo (Democratic Republic) · 2025

Call0:10

Gambia · 2024

Uncertain0:28

Algeria · 2025

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 4 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	uMkhuze Game Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~80%
2	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~70%
3	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~70%
4	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~70%
5	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~70%
6	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~70%
7	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~70%
8	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~70%
9	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~70%
10	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	~70%
11	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~70%
12	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~70%
13	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~70%
14	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~70%
15	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~70%
16	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~60%
17	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~60%
18	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~60%
19	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~60%
20	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
21	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~60%
22	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~60%
23	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~60%
24	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~60%
25	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~60%
26	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~60%
27	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~60%
28	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
29	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~50%
30	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~50%
31	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
32	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~50%
33	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~50%
34	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
35	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~50%
36	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~40%
37	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~40%
38	Odzala-Kokoua National Park	🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo	~40%
39	Selous Game Reserve	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~40%
40	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~40%
41	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~40%
42	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~30%
43	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
44	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~30%
45	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~30%
46	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
47	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
48	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
49	Bale Mountains National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~20%
50	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Lusaka	🇿🇲 Zambia	~90%
2	Marrakesh	🇲🇦 Morocco	~90%
3	Abuja	🇳🇬 Nigeria	~90%
4	Harare	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~90%
5	Yaoundé	🇨🇲 Cameroon	~90%
6	Serrekunda	🇬🇲 Gambia	~90%
7	Kigali	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~80%
8	Ouagadougou	🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	~80%
9	Brazzaville	🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo	~80%
10	Johannesburg	🇿🇦 South Africa	~80%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	San Diego Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Sedgwick County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	Toledo Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	Philadelphia Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity

Closest Relatives at Selous Game Reserve

Chalcomitra senegalensis

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Plocepasser mahali

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Dicrurus adsimilis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Haliaeetus vocifer

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Lophoceros alboterminatus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Ceryle rudis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Coracias caudatus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Merops pusillus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Merops bullockoides

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Streptopelia capicola

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Bucorvus leadbeateri

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Anastomus lamelligerus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Bulbul in Selous Game Reserve?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Bulbul sighting in Selous Game Reserve on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 26 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

What time of day is best to see a Common Bulbul?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common 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 Selous Game Reserve the best place to see a Common Bulbul?

39th of 50

Of the 50 parks where we can rate Common Bulbul sightings, Selous Game Reserve ranks 39th at about 40%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 80%), Arusha National Park (Tanzania, about 70%) and Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 70%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Common Bulbul live in Selous Game Reserve?

Same order: Passeriformes

The closest relatives of the Common Bulbul that you can see in Selous Game Reserve (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Scarlet-chested Sunbird (about 40%), White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (about 40%) and Fork-tailed Drongo (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Bulbul sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Selous Game Reserve (11 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.

← Back to Selous Game Reserve

Common Bulbul

About the Common Bulbul

Sounds

Recent sightings of Common Bulbul in Selous Game Reserve

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Selous Game Reserve

Scarlet-chested Sunbird

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

Fork-tailed Drongo

African Fish-Eagle

Crowned Hornbill

Pied Kingfisher

Lilac-breasted Roller

Little Bee-eater

White-fronted Bee-eater

Cape Turtle Dove

Southern Ground-Hornbill

African Openbilled Stork

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Bulbul in Selous Game Reserve?

What time of day is best to see a Common Bulbul?

Is Selous Game Reserve the best place to see a Common Bulbul?

Which relatives of the Common Bulbul live in Selous Game Reserve?

Where does the Common Bulbul sighting chance come from?