| Black-capped bulbul | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Pycnonotidae |
| Genus: | Rubigula |
| Species: | R. melanictera |
| Binomial name | |
| Rubigula melanictera (Gmelin, JF, 1789) | |
| Synonyms | |
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The black-capped bulbul (Rubigula melanictera), or black-headed yellow bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. [2]
The black-capped bulbul was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae . He placed it with the flycatchers in the genus Muscicapa and coined the binomial name Muscicapa melanictera. [3] [4] The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek melas meaning "black" with ikteros meaning "jaundice-yellow". [5] Gmelin based his description on the "yellow-breasted fly-catcher" from Sri Lanka that had been described and illustrated in 1776 by the English naturalist Peter Brown. [6]
The black-capped bulbul was formerly placed in the genus Pycnonotus . [7] A molecular phylogenetic study of the bulbul family published in 2017 found that Pycnonotus was polyphyletic. [8] In the revision to the generic classification the black-capped bulbul and four other species were moved from Pycnonotus to Rubigula. [9] Until 2008, the black-capped bulbul was considered as conspecific with the black-crested, ruby-throated, flame-throated and Bornean bulbuls. Some authorities have considered the ruby-throated, flame-throated and Bornean bulbuls to be subspecies of the black-capped bulbul. [10]
The black-capped bulbul is virtually crestless and has a yellow throat and brownish eyes. It is yellowish green above and yellow below. The tail is brownish and ends in a white tip. The male has red irides and the female has brown irides. Calls include a broad repertoire of sweet, mellow, minor-key piping whistles and sharper calls. Breeding records are from March to September.
This is a bird of forest and dense scrub. It builds its nest in a bush; two to four eggs is a typical clutch. The black-capped bulbul feeds on fruit and insects. Found in forests, wooded areas and in gardens. Usually found in pairs.
In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as Hisa kalu Kondaya - හිස කලු කොන්ඩයා in Sinhala language.
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