Red-whiskered Bulbul
Pycnonotus jocosus
Family: Pycnonotidae
Adult, Tench Reserve - Oct 2003
© 2003 Mike Simpson
Juvenile, Tench Reserve - Nov 2003
© 2003 Mike Simpson
Status: Resident / Common / Introduced
The Red-whiskered Bulbul is a very attractive small bird introduced to the Sydney area in the 1880s. It is a native of S.E.Asia and is now very common in the Penrith area. It prefers to eat fruit, so can cause damage to soft fruit crops, in Penrith the Bulbuls descend on the Mulberry trees in Tench Reserve in November in large numbers, it can be found in gardens almost year round.
Size: 20 cm
Voice: Melodic whistles and chirps
Nesting Ecology: The nest is cup-shaped made of bark and rootlets and usually with a few large dead leaves in the bottom. Lined with rootlets. Sep-Feb.
Australian Distribution: Mainly around Sydney and Coffs Harbour, with a few in Melbourne and Adelaide.
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