Monday, November 1, 2010

Bornean Bulbul

Bornean Bulbul Pycnonotus montis, a generally scare bird that is confined to secondary growths and forest edge in the mountains, 600m to 1,550m.

Found in G. Kinabalu; Crocker Range and foothills; G Trus Madi; Kaingaran; Lumaku; Malangkap; Sinsuran road; Tambunan; Telipok; Maliau Basin in Sabah, note that some of the records are from areas not exactly montane. Also found in Trusan; Kelabit Highlands and G Dulit in Sarawak.

The species was split by Fishpool & Tobias (2005) from Pycnonotus melanicterus,  into five species; dispar (Ruby-throated Bulbul) in Sumatra, Java and Bali; gularis (Flame-throated Bulbul) in W Ghat and India; melanicterus (Black-capped Bulbul) in Sri Lanka; flaviventris (Black-crested Bulbul) in elsewhere in Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia; and montis (Bornean Bulbul) in Borneo.

The Bornean Bulbul has black head and crest, olive-green upper parts, yellow throat, yellowish green underparts, dark red iris and black bill.

Black-crested Bulbul P. flaviventris caecilli in Peninsular Malaysia has black throat and pale eyes.

Ruby-throated Bulbul P. dispar of Sumatra has red throat and dark iris.

This images were taken in Rafflesia Centre, a montane forest. This bird is locally common there.

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