Brown-eared bulbul
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Hypsipetes amaurotis

The brown-eared bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis ) is a medium-sized bulbul native to eastern Asia. It is extremely common within the northern parts of its range and can be found from southern Sakhalin to the northern Philippines.

Appearance

Reaching a length of about 28 cm (11 in), brown-eared bulbuls are grayish-brown, with brown cheeks (the "brown ears" of the common name) and a long tail. While they prefer forested areas, they readily adapt to urban and rural environments, and their noisy squeaking calls are a familiar sound in most areas of Japan.

Distribution

Geography

The brown-eared bulbul is common in a very large range that includes the Russian Far East (including Sakhalin), northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan, south to Taiwan and the Babuyan and Batanes island chains in the north of the Philippines.

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Historically, brown-eared bulbuls were migratory birds moving to the southern parts of their range in winter, but they have taken advantage of changes in crops and farming practices in recent decades to overwinter in areas farther north than previously possible. Most brown-eared bulbuls still move south in winter, often forming huge flocks during migration. They are considered agricultural pests in some areas of Japan where they may invade orchards and damage crops such as cabbages, cauliflowers and spinach.

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Brown-eared bulbul habitat map
Brown-eared bulbul habitat map
Brown-eared bulbul
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Habits and Lifestyle

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

In summer, brown-eared bulbuls primarily feed on insects, while they mostly take fruits and seeds in the fall and winter. At this time, they also feed on the nectar from Camellia flowers, becoming dusted with yellow pollen in the process. In this way they help to pollinate the flowers at a time of year when there are few insect pollinators around.

Mating Habits

Around five eggs are laid by the female, which then incubates them. Brown-eared bulbuls are frequently parasitized by cuckoos, whose chicks will push bulbul eggs and chicks out of the nest.

Population

References

1. Brown-eared bulbul Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown-eared_bulbul
2. Brown-eared bulbul on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22713192/131969016
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/699421

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