Editing Common bulbul

{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Common bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus barbatus).jpg
| image_caption = ''P. b. barbatus'', Morocco
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2018 |title=''Pycnonotus barbatus'' |volume=2018 |page=e.T22712650A132101179 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22712650A132101179.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Pycnonotus
| species = barbatus
| authority = ([[Rene Louiche Desfontaines|Desfontaines]], 1789)
| range_map =
| range_map_caption =
| synonyms = * ''Turdus barbatus''
}}
The '''common bulbul''' ('''''Pycnonotus barbatus''''') is a member of the [[bulbul]] family of [[passerine]] [[bird]]s. It is widespread throughout most of Africa except for the very arid areas. 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.

==Taxonomy and systematics==
The common bulbul was [[species description|formally described]] and illustrated in 1789 by the French botanist [[René Louiche Desfontaines|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''.<ref>{{ cite journal | last=Desfontaines | first=René Louiche | author-link=René Louiche Desfontaines | date=1787 | publication-date=1789 | title=Mémoire sur quelques nouvelles espèces d'oiseaux des côtes de Barbarie | language=French | journal=Histoire de l'Académie Royale des Science | pages=496-505 [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28011230 500], [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28011239 Plate 12] | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28011230 }} For a discussion of the publication date see: {{ cite book | last1=Dickinson | first1=E.C. | author1-link=Edward C. Dickinson | last2=Overstreet | first2=L.K. | last3=Dowsett | first3=R.J. | last4=Bruce | first4=M.D. | year=2011 | title=Priority! The Dating of Scientific Names in Ornithology: a Directory to the literature and its reviewers | location=Northampton, UK | publisher=Aves Press | isbn=978-0-9568611-1-5 | page=200 | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267763194 | ref=none }}</ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Greenway | editor2-first=James C. Jr | year=1960 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=9 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology  | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=239 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14480914 }}</ref> 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]].<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | date=February 2025 | title=Bulbuls | work=IOC World Bird List Version 15.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/bulbuls/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=6 March 2025}}</ref> The genus name combines the [[Ancient Greek]] πυκνος/''puknos'' meaning "thick" or "compact" with -νωτος/''-nōtos'' meaning "-backed".<ref>{{ cite web | last=Jobling | first=James A. | title=Pycnonotus | work=The Key to Scientific Names | url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/key-to-scientific-names/search?q=Pycnonotus | publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology | access-date=6 March 2025 }}</ref> The specific epithet ''barbatus'' is [[Latin]] meaning ''bearded''.<ref>{{ cite web | last=Jobling | first=James A. | title=barbatus | work=The Key to Scientific Names | url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/key-to-scientific-names/search?q=barbatus | publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology | access-date=6 March 2025 }}</ref> Alternate names for the common bulbul include black-eyed bulbul, black-capped bulbul and common garden bulbul.<ref name=hbw>{{ cite book | last1=Fishpool | first1=L.D.C. |last2=Tobias | first2=J.A. | year=2005 | chapter=Family Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls) | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Christie | editor3-first=D.A. | title=Handbook of the Birds of the World | volume=10: Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes | location=Barcelona, Spain | publisher=Lynx Edicions | isbn=978-84-87334-72-6 | pages=124–250 [181–182] | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0010unse/page/181/mode/1up | chapter-url-access=registration }}</ref>

Ten [[subspecies]] are recognised. Several of these have sometimes been treated as separate species based on the differences in plumage but the differences are [[Cline (biology)|clinal]] and there are no significant vocal differences.<ref name=ioc/>
* ''P. b. barbatus'' ([[René Louiche Desfontaines|Desfontaines]], 1789) – Morocco to Tunisia
* ''P. b. inornatus'' ([[Louis Fraser|Fraser]], 1843) – south Mauritania and Senegal to west Chad and north Cameroon
* ''P. b. gabonensis'' [[Richard Bowdler Sharpe|Sharpe]], 1871 – central Nigeria and central Cameroon to Gabon and south Congo
* ''P. b. arsinoe'' ([[Hinrich Lichtenstein|Lichtenstein, MHC]], 1823) – east Chad, north, central Sudan and east Egypt
* ''P. b. schoanus'' [[Oscar Neumann|Neumann]], 1905 – southeast Sudan, west, central, east Ethiopia, Eritrea
* ''P. b. dodsoni'' Sharpe, 1895 – north Somalia and southeast Ethiopia to central east Kenya (Dodson's bulbul)
* ''P. b. somaliensis'' [[Anton Reichenow|Reichenow]], 1905 – Djibouti, northwest Somalia and northeast Ethiopia (Somali bulbul)
* ''P. b. spurius'' Reichenow, 1905 – south Ethiopia (Dark-capped bulbul group)
* ''P. b. layardi'' [[John Henry Gurney Sr.|Gurney, JH Sr]], 1879 – southeast Kenya to east, south Zambia, northeast Botswana and South Africa (Dark-capped bulbul group)
* ''P. b. tricolor'' ([[Gustav Hartlaub|Hartlaub]], 1862) – east Cameroon to DR Congo, south Sudan, west, central Kenya, Angola, northwest Botswana and north, west Zambia (Dark-capped bulbul group)

==Description==
The common bulbul is {{cvt|18|-|20|cm}} in length, with a long tail. The sexes are similar in plumage but the male is on average larger. It has a dark brown head and brown upperparts. The underparts are dull grey. The bill is fairly short and thin, with a slightly downwards curving upper mandible. The bill, legs, and feet are black and the eye is dark brown with a dark eye-ring, which is not readily visible. Subspecies ''dodsoni'', ''spurius'', ''tricolor'' and ''layardi'' have yellow undertail coverts.<ref name=hbw/>  The call is a loud ''doctor-quick doctor-quick be-quick be-quick''.

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Pycnonotus barbatus inornatus MHNT 224 M'Boro Senegal RdN -.jpg|thumb|Eggs of ''Pycnonotus barbatus inornatus'' [[MHNT]]]]

It is a common resident breeder in much of Africa, and it has been found breeding in southern Spain at [[Tarifa]].<ref name=bow>{{cite journal | last1=Fishpool | first1=L. | last2=Tobias | first2=J.A.  | year=2020 | title=Common Bulbul (''Pycnonotus barbatus''), version 1.0 | editor1-last=del Hoyo | editor1-first=J. | editor2-last=Elliott | editor2-first=A. | editor3-last=Sargatal | editor3-first=J. | editor4-last=Christie | editor4-first=D.A. | editor5-last=de Juana | editor5-first=E. | journal=Birds of the World | location=Ithaca, NY, USA | publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology | doi=10.2173/bow.combul2.01 | url=https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.combul2.01 | access-date=6 March 2025 | url-access=subscription }}</ref> It is found in woodland, coastal bush, forest edges, riverine bush, montane scrub, and in mixed farming habitats. It is also found in exotic thickets, gardens, and parks.<ref name=hbw/>

==Behaviour and ecology==
The common bulbul is usually seen in pairs or small groups. It is a conspicuous bird, which tends to sit at the top of a bush. As with other bulbuls they are active and noisy birds. The flight is bouncing and [[woodpecker|woodpecker-like]].

===Breeding===
This species nests throughout the year in the moist tropics, elsewhere it is a more seasonal breeder with a peak in breeding coinciding with the onset of the rainy season. The nest is built by the female and is usually {{cvt|1|-|5|m}} above ground, in a branch of a tree, generally away from the main trunk. The nest is fairly rigid, thick-walled and cup-shaped. The clutch is 2 to 5 eggs. These are incubated by the female starting when the clutch is complete and hatch after 12-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest after 13-16 days although at this age they can barely fly. They are cared for by both parents until aged around 40 days. Nests are frequently parasitised by the [[Jacobin cuckoo]].<ref name=hbw/>

===Feeding===
The common bulbu mostly eats fruit, but also consumes nectar, insects and seeds.<ref name=hbw/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{EBirdSpecies|combul2|Common Bulbul}}
* [https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=6ABDB63537227774 Common Bulbul]  on avibase

{{Taxonbar|from=Q790596}}

[[Category:Pycnonotus|common bulbul]]
[[Category:Birds of Africa]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1789|common bulbul]]
[[Category:Taxa named by René Louiche Desfontaines|common bulbul]]
[[Category:Birds of East Africa]]