Red-whiskered Bulbul - Pycnonotus jocosus

Red-whiskered Bulbul (Introduced)

Pycnonotus jocosus

Origin:
Family: Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls, this is the only species in Australia)
Size: 20 cm
Distribution: Very small parts of NSW, VIC and QLD, including around Sydney
Status: Common to locally common
Habitat: Urban areas
References: Simpson and Day, Reader's Digest

Although the Red-whiskered Bulbul is introduced, it seems like a "nice" bird, unlike many of the other introduced birds such as the Feral Pigeon, the Common Myna and others.

They make a variety of several nice melodic sounds, and are usually seen in groups of two or three, perhaps four or even five occasionally.

The Red-whiskered Bulbul has a crest on the top of the head which is quite distinctive, and tiny red patches behind the eye and under its tail that are usually hard to see. Juvenile bulbuls are pink under the tail and have no red patch behind the eye.

Red-whiskered Bulbul - Pycnonotus jocosus
Photo: Blaxland, Blue Mountains NSW

Some Birdwatching Resources

NEW: The Complete Guide to Australian Birds, by George Adams.

This is another of the newer ones (published in November 2018) that I bought recently (June 2020). It's got photographs rather than drawn pictures of the birds. They're really good quality photos. 10 or more years ago, the Australian bird field guides with photographs definitely weren't in the same class as the ones with hand-drawn pictures, but that seems to have changed. Now I think it's more a matter of personal preference. I imagine that the massive increases in availability of long-zoom-distance digital photographic equipment has made it much easier for there to be better quality photos of birds.

This book has colured strips down the outside of each page so you can find the different types of birds easily, which I really like.

Purchase from Australia (The Nile)

Purchase from Australia (Fishpond)

Purchase from Amazon.com (USA Site)

Purchase from Amazon.com.au (Australian Site)

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Red-whiskered Bulbul (Introduced)

Pycnonotus jocosus

Some Birdwatching Resources

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