Yellow-throated Bulbul
Encyclopedia
The Yellow-throated Bulbul is a species of bulbul
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.
but this has a supercilium and lacks the yellow throat. Males and females are similar in plumage.
The name of Konda-poda-pigli in Telugu was noted by TC Jerdon
.
and central peninsular India but also in some places in the Western Ghats
. The distribution is highly fragmented and populations are very local making hilly habitats of very special conservation concern. Many of these hill forests are threatened by granite quarrying, forest fires and grazing. It has vanished from many sites where it was earlier known.
Some well known locations include the Nandi Hills
, Horsley Hills
, Gingee
, Yercaud and the Biligirirangans. The species is also seen in some parts of the Western Ghats including the Anamalais. The northern limit is believed to be in the Nallamala range but it is suspected that the species may extend in range into the northern Eastern Ghats of Orissa.
. They feed on insects and the berries of various scrub plant species including Lantana camara
, Securinega leucopyrus, Toddalia asiatica
, Erythroxylon monogynum, Solanum indicum, Santalum album
, Ziziphus
, Ficus benghalensis
, Ficus nervosa, Ficus montana
, Canthium dicoccum
and Phyllanthus reticulata.
During hot afternoons and in the dry-season they visit pools of water both to drink and bathe.
The breeding season is June to August. The nest is built in the fork of small tree. Two eggs are laid which hatch in 20 days with the chicks fledging 13 days later.
Bulbul
Bulbuls are a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds. Many forest species are known as greenbuls. 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...
endemic to southern peninsular India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. 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
White-browed Bulbul
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...
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.
Description
This uncrested species of bulbul is olive grey above with a yellow throat, undertail coverts and tail tips. The head is plain while the breast and belly have a grey wash. The closest resembling species is the White-browed BulbulWhite-browed Bulbul
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...
but this has a supercilium and lacks the yellow throat. Males and females are similar in plumage.
The name of Konda-poda-pigli in Telugu was noted by TC Jerdon
Thomas C. Jerdon
Thomas Caverhill Jerdon was a British physician, zoologist and botanist. He is best remembered for his pioneering works on the ornithology of India...
.
Distribution and habitat
The habitat of the species is rocky, scrub covered hills mostly in the Eastern GhatsEastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
and central peninsular India but also in some places in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. The distribution is highly fragmented and populations are very local making hilly habitats of very special conservation concern. Many of these hill forests are threatened by granite quarrying, forest fires and grazing. It has vanished from many sites where it was earlier known.
Some well known locations include the Nandi Hills
Nandi Hills, India
Nandi Hills or Nandidurg is an ancient hill fortress of southern India, in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state. It is located just 10 km from Chickballapur town and approximately 60 km from the city of Bangalore...
, Horsley Hills
Horsley Hills
Horsley Hills , elevation 1,769 m, is a famous summer hill resort in Andhra Pradesh, about 160 km from Bangalore, India and 144 km from Tirupathi. Madanapalle is the closest town near the hills. The major tourist attractions here include the Mallamma temple and the Rishi Valley School...
, Gingee
Gingee
Gingee is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The nearest town with a railway station is Tindivanam, 28 km away....
, Yercaud and the Biligirirangans. The species is also seen in some parts of the Western Ghats including the Anamalais. The northern limit is believed to be in the Nallamala range but it is suspected that the species may extend in range into the northern Eastern Ghats of Orissa.
Behaviour and ecology
This bird is usually shy and hidden within scrub and is usually detected by its sudden cackling outbursts of calls which are similar to those of the White-browed BulbulWhite-browed Bulbul
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 feed on insects and the berries of various scrub plant species including Lantana camara
Lantana camara
Lantana camara, also known as Spanish Flag or West Indian Lantana, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that is native to the American tropics. It has been introduced into other parts of the world as an ornamental plant and is considered an invasive species in many...
, Securinega leucopyrus, Toddalia asiatica
Toddalia
Toddalia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the citrus family containing the single species Toddalia asiatica, which is known by the English common name orange climber. In Afrikaans it is called ranklemoentjie, and in Venda, gwambadzi. It is native to many countries in Africa and Asia. It...
, Erythroxylon monogynum, Solanum indicum, Santalum album
Santalum album
Santalum album or Indian sandalwood is a small tropical tree, the most commonly known source of sandalwood. This species has been utilised, cultivated and traded for many years, some cultures placing great significance on its fragrant and medicinal qualities. For these reasons it has been...
, Ziziphus
Ziziphus
Ziziphus is a genus of about 40 species of spiny shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, distributed in the warm-temperate and subtropical regions throughout the world. The leaves are alternate, entire, with three prominent basal veins, and long; some species are deciduous,...
, Ficus benghalensis
Ficus benghalensis
Ficus benghalensis, the banyan, is a large and extensive growing tree of the Indian subcontinent. Ficus benghalensis produces propagating roots which grow downwards as aerial roots. Once these roots reach the ground, they grow into woody trunks that can become indistinguishable from the main...
, Ficus nervosa, Ficus montana
Ficus montana
Ficus montana is a species of subtropical climbing figs plant. The plant is similar to the Creeping Fig but has smaller leaves. Leaves are 1 ½ inch in size. The leaves are shaped like oak leaves which gives its common name. It is grown as a houseplant, in offices and in shopping malls. It is slow...
, Canthium dicoccum
Canthium dicoccum
Psydrax dicoccos is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is found from southeast China to tropical Asia.-External links:** World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
and Phyllanthus reticulata.
During hot afternoons and in the dry-season they visit pools of water both to drink and bathe.
The breeding season is June to August. The nest is built in the fork of small tree. Two eggs are laid which hatch in 20 days with the chicks fledging 13 days later.