Tricholestes criniger
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The hairy-backed bulbul (Tricholestes criniger) is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is the sole species contained within the monotypic genus Tricholestes. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The hairy-backed bulbul was originally described in the genus Brachypodius (a synonym for Pycnonotus). Alternatively, some authorities have classified the hairy-backed bulbul in the genera Trichophorus (a synonym for Criniger) and Hypsipetes.
Found on western Sumatra Found on Borneo The hairy-backed bulbul is a small (16–17 cm long, weigh 12–21 g), relatively quiet bulbul with a slightly rounded tail and strong rictal bristles. It is olive above and yellowish below... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 3 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 7 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 9 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hairy-backed Bulbul sighting in Sepilok on a given day, based on 261 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 104th most-seen of the 242 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and August
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Hairy-backed Bulbul in Sepilok on a given day, against under 5% in May and November, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hairy-backed Bulbul sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
6th of 10
Of the 10 parks where we can rate Hairy-backed Bulbul sightings, Sepilok ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Khao Luang National Park (Thailand, about 40%), Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 40%) and Taman Negara National Park (Malaysia, about 30%).
Same family: Pycnonotidae
The closest relatives of the Hairy-backed Bulbul that you can see in Sepilok (family Pycnonotidae, Bulbuls) are Red-eyed Bulbul (about 50%), Yellow-vented Bulbul (about 50%) and Olive-winged Bulbul (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hairy-backed Bulbul is recorded against all the birds logged in Sepilok (261 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.
