Flame-throated bulbul

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Flame-throated bulbul
Flame-throated bulbul.jpg
Flame-throated bulbul at Dandeli, India
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pycnonotidae
Genus: Rubigula
Species:
R. gularis
Binomial name
Rubigula gularis
(Gould, 1836)
Synonyms
  • Brachypus gularisprotonym
  • Pycnonotus melanicterus gularis
  • Brachypus rubineusJerdon, 1839 [2]
  • Pycnonotus gularis

The flame-throated bulbul (Rubigula gularis) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds and the state bird of Goa. It is found only in the forests of the Western Ghats in southern India. Formerly included as a subspecies of Pycnonotus flaviventris it has since been elevated to the status of a full species. They are olive-backed with yellow undersides, a triangular orange-red throat and a white iris that stands out against the contrasting black head. They are usually seen foraging in groups in the forest canopy for berries and small insects. They have a call often with two or three tinkling notes that can sound similar to those produced by the red-whiskered bulbul. The species has been referred to in the past by names such as ruby-throated bulbul and black-headed bulbul, but these are ambiguous and could apply to other species such as Rubigula flaviventris and R. dispar .

Contents

Taxonomy and systematics

 
 

Pycnonotus erythropthalmos

 

Pycnonotus squamatus

Pycnonotus cyaniventris

Pycnonotus flaviventris

 
 

Pycnonotus gularis

Pycnonotus melanicterus

Pycnonotus dispar

Pycnonotus montis

now genus
Rubigula
Near relatives of the flame-throated bulbul [3]

The species was described by John Gould in December 1835 (but published in 1836) based on a specimen in the Zoological Society of London that had been obtained from Travancore State. Gould noted that it was very similar to Brachypus dispar (now Rubigula dispar) that had been described by Thomas Horsfield and placed the new species likewise in the genus Brachypus as B. gularis. [4] Viscount Walden suggested that this had already been described by Jerdon as Brachypus rubineus and called the "ruby-throated bulbul" (although this name was published later). [5] This was subsequently included as a subspecies of a larger number of similar bulbuls in the Asian region under a broadly circumscribed Pycnonotus melanicterus. [6] With a resurgence in the application of the phylogenetic species concept, the isolated population in the Western Ghats of India was separated as the flame-throated bulbul. The crested populations in the Eastern Ghats and Himalayas that lack the red throat which were treated as subspecies flaviventris were also elevated into full species as Pycnonotus flaviventris . Pycnonotus melanicterus in this newer and narrower circumscription followed by Pamela Rasmussen in Birds of South Asia (2005) and the Handbook of the Birds of the World (2005) only included the Sri Lankan population which was referred to as the black-capped bulbul. [7] [8] A 2017 study noted that the Western Ghats P. gularis and Sri Lankan P. melanicterus were closely related within a clade (the age of divergence from the common ancestor of its sister clades, however, has not been estimated in the study) that includes P. montis, P. dispar, and P. flaviventris leading to a placement of these species in a new genus Rubigula. [9] [3]

Description

The white iris is distinctive Pycnonotus gularis (Karnataka).jpg
The white iris is distinctive

The flame-throated bulbul is about 18 cm long with an olive-green back and yellow underparts, a squarish black head without a crest, an orange-red throat. The iris is white and contrasts with the dark head. The legs are brown and the gape is yellowish-pink. The bill is dark brown to black. The plumage of young birds has not been described. [10]

Distribution and habitat

The flame-throated bulbul is found in the Western Ghats from southern Maharashtra and Goa southwards. It is a bird of forest that is only rarely seen at the edges of forests or inside coffee plantations. [10]

Behaviour and ecology

The flame-throated bulbul keeps in small flocks and feeds on berries, including those of Lantana sp. It inhabits evergreen forests often along streams and valleys. The flame-throated bulbul feeds on fruit and insects, [10] sometimes in mixed species foraging flocks. [11]

Populations appear to move seasonally within the Western Ghats. [12]

The breeding season is mostly from February to April. The nest is a small cup, placed in undergrowth from 1 to 3 metres from the ground level and is usually made of yellowing leaves bound with cobwebs and can easily be mistaken for a wind-blown accumulation of dry leaves. [10] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulbul</span> Family of birds

The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia to Indonesia, and north as far as Japan. A few insular species occur on the tropical islands of the Indian Ocean. There are 166 species in 32 genera. While different species are found in a wide range of habitats, the African species are predominantly found in rainforest, whereas Asian bulbuls are predominantly found in more open areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">True thrush</span> Genus of birds

True thrushes are medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Turdus of the wider thrush family, Turdidae. The genus name Turdus is Latin for "thrush". The term "thrush" is used for many other birds of the family Turdidae as well as for a number of species belonging to several other families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-whiskered bulbul</span> Species of bird

The red-whiskered bulbul, or crested bulbul, is a passerine bird native to Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. It has been introduced in many tropical areas of the world where populations have established themselves. It has a loud three or four note call, feeds on fruits and small insects and perches conspicuously on trees. It is common in hill forests and urban gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-browed bulbul</span> Species of bird

The yellow-browed bulbul, or golden-browed bulbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in the forests of southern India and Sri Lanka. The yellow-browed bulbul is mainly yellow on the underside and olive above with a distinct yellow brow. They are easily located by their loud calls but tend to skulk within foliage below the forest canopy. While its taxonomic classification has changed over time, it is currently the sole species within the monotypic genus Acritillas which is closely related to Hemixos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed bulbul</span> Species of bird

The white-browed bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a resident breeder in Sri Lanka and peninsular India. Largely olive coloured above with whitish underparts, it has a pale supercilium and a yellow vent. They are found in dense scrub habitats, where they skulk within vegetation and can be difficult to see although their loud and distinct burst of calls is distinctive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-crested bulbul</span> Species of bird

The black-crested bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found from the Indian subcontinent to southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-vented bulbul</span> Species of bird

The red-vented bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerines. It is a resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Bhutan and Nepal. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world and has established itself in New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Fiji, as well as parts of Samoa, Australia, USA and Cook Islands. It is included in the list of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-headed bulbul</span> Species of bird

The black-headed bulbul is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in forests in south-eastern Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-headed bulbul</span> Species of bird

The grey-headed bulbul is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in south-western India, and found from Goa south to Tamil Nadu at altitudes up to 1200m. It is found in dense reeds or thickets mainly near rivers and swampy areas inside forests. They have a distinctive call that reveals their presence inside dense vegetation where they are hard to spot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-throated bulbul</span> Species of songbird

The yellow-throated bulbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family of passerine birds. The species is endemic to southern peninsular India. They are found on scrub habitats on steep, rocky hills many of which are threatened by granite quarrying. It is confusable only with the white-browed bulbul with which its range overlaps but is distinctively yellow on the head and throat apart from the yellow vent. The calls of this species are very similar to that of the white-browed bulbul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-throated bulbul</span> Species of songbird

The white-throated bulbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in south-eastern Asia from the eastern Himalayas to Myanmar and western Thailand. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-bellied greenbul</span> Species of songbird

The yellow-bellied greenbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in eastern, southern and west-central Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and dry savanna.

<i>Ixos</i> Genus of birds

Ixos is a genus of passerine birds in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.

<i>Pycnonotus</i> Genus of birds

Pycnonotus is a genus of frugivorous passerine birds in the bulbul family Pycnonotidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straw-headed bulbul</span> Species of songbird

The straw-headed bulbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, arable land, plantations, and rural gardens. It is threatened by habitat loss and poaching.

<i>Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide</i> Two-volume ornithological handbook by Pamela Rasmussen and John Anderton

Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide by Pamela C. Rasmussen and John C. Anderton is a two-volume ornithological handbook, covering the birds of South Asia, published in 2005 by the Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions. The geographical scope of the book covers India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, the Chagos Archipelago and Afghanistan. In total, 1508 species are covered. Two notable aspects of Birds of South Asia are its distribution evidence-base — the book's authors based their distributional information almost completely on museum specimens — and its taxonomic approach, involving a large number of species-level splits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bornean bulbul</span> Species of bird

The Bornean bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to the island of Borneo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby-throated bulbul</span> Species of bird

The ruby-throated bulbul, or yellow bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found on Sumatra, Java, and Bali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-capped bulbul</span> Species of bird

The black-capped bulbul, or black-headed yellow bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.

References

  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Rubigula gularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T103826116A104339313. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103826116A104339313.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. Jerdon, T.C. (1839). "Catalogue of the birds of the peninsula of India..." Madras Journal of Literature and Science. 10: 234–269.
  3. 1 2 Shakya, Subir B; Sheldon, Frederick H (2017). "The phylogeny of the world's bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) inferred using a supermatrix approach". Ibis. 159 (3): 498. doi: 10.1111/ibi.12464 .
  4. "[Summary of meeting chaired by William Yarrell on December 8, 1835]". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 36: 186. 1836.
  5. Viscount Walden (1866). "[Letter on Brachypus gularis, Gould, to the Editor.]". Ibis. 8 (4): 423–424. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.1866.tb08615.x.
  6. Mayr, Ernst; Greenway, James C. Jr., eds. (1960). Check-list of the birds of the World. Volume IX. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 229.
  7. Fishpool, L. D. C.; Tobias, J. A. (2005). "Family Pycnonotidae (bulbuls).". In J. del Hoyo; A. Elliott; D. A. Christie (eds.). Handbook of the birds of the world. Volume 10. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. pp. 124–250.
  8. Collar, N.J.; Pilgrim, J.D. (2007). "Species-level changes proposed for Asian birds, 2005–2006" (PDF). Birding Asia. 8: 14–30.
  9. Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (eds.). "Family Pycnonotidae". IOC World Bird List . Version 10.2. International Ornithological Congress. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Ali, Salim; Ripley, S. Dillon (1996). Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Volume 6 (2 ed.). New Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. 73–74.
  11. Sridhar, Hari; Jordán, Ferenc; Shanker, Kartik (1 September 2013). "Species importance in a heterospecific foraging association network" (PDF). Oikos. 122 (9): 1325–1334. Bibcode:2013Oikos.122.1325S. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0706.2013.00101.x. ISSN   1600-0706.
  12. Jayson, E.A.; Mathew, D.N. (2002). "Structure and composition of two bird communities in the southern Western Ghats". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 99 (1): 8–25.
  13. Betts, F.N. (1951). "The Birds of Coorg. Part I." J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 50 (1): 20–63.