“The Styan’s Bulbul (Pycnonotus taivanus), also known as Taiwan Bulbul, is a common endemic bulbul on the eastern and southern half of the island. There is some cross breeding (hybridisation) with the Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis formosae) or Chinese Bulbul that threatens it due to mass ceremonial release (Brazil 2009).
“The Styan’s Bulbul has distinct orange-red spots at the base of the lower bill and a black cap and nape. Hybridised birds have more white at the nape/cap and grey in the face. Crown feathers are often held erect but can be flattened (below).
“Often seen in pairs or singly at the top of a bush or tree. Can be found in small groups feeding on berries or ficus fruit in the morning and evening.
“The song of the Styan’s Bulbul is a sweet, upbeat string of notes, often repeated a few times HERE. Brazil 2009 describes the song as ‘pri tu rrilit’.
The sonogram and waveform of the song is shown above.
“The call is more of a continuous chatter made by more than one bird at a time, an audio recording is given HERE. Above shows the sonogram and waveform of calls.”
Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
15-16th December 2014
Location: Hengchun Peninsula, Pingtung County, Taiwan
Habitat: Costal tourist resort, semi urban, adjacent to the beach
