Birds


Lesser Pied Kingfisher | Crimsonbreasted Barbet | Common Hoopoe
River Tern | Indian Robin | Oriental Magpie-Robin | Indian Roller
Cattle Egret | Redvented Bulbul | House Sparrow | Grey Tit
Common Myna




Photograph by H. Satish, A.R.P.S., M.F.I.A.P

Redvented Bulbul

» SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pycnonotus cafer
» KANNADA NAME: Kempubaalada Pikalaara
» HINDI NAME: Bulbul, Guldum

A common resident of gardens in Bangalore, the presence of the bulbul can be an accurate indicator of the good health of the local habitat.

Colour and description: Bigger than a sparrow. Smoky brown with partially crested black head, scale-like markings on breast and back, a crimson patch below the root of tail and a white rump. Both male and female look alike.

Call: No song as such, but pleasantly vocal with a call that sounds like ‘pinkalanga’. In the early mornings and late evenings, groups of these birds collect together and start a noisy chatter.

Food: Insects, fruits, berries, peas and similar vegetables and flower nectar.

Nesting season: February to May. Male and female share parental duties.

Nest: In bushes, trees and even inside houses. Cuplike nests, built of rootlets plastered with cobwebs.

Eggs: Two or three, pinkish-white, blotched with purplish-brown or claret.