After returning to Taiwan June 2022, I visited Little Liuqiu, where I was immediately drawn to the call of the Light-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis). While its song may not be as varied as that of the Red-whiskered Bulbul, it is remarkably clear and bright. Each morning from my villa balcony, I enjoyed their lively calls, which added a sense of joy to the start of every vacation day.
It wasn't until I went hiking in Yangmingshan that I realized just how common the Light-vented Bulbul is throughout Taiwan. Along with the Taiwan Barbet and the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, it is considered one of the "three common birds of the city" in many regions.
The Light-vented Bulbul is sexually monomorphic, meaning males and females look alike. Its body is a soft olive green, but its most defining feature is the large white patch covering the nape and the sides of its black head. This striking white "crown" is why it is often called the "Chinese Bulbul" or "White-headed Bulbul" (白頭翁, bái-tóu-wēng) in Chinese.
As a true songbird, it is famously noisy and boisterous. During the breeding season, its song becomes even louder and more complex.
These birds prefer to perch high on branches to survey their surroundings. They are omnivorous, feeding on a varied diet of insects, seeds, and fruits.
In April 2026, while living in Neihu, I found myself waking up to a chorus of birdsong every morning around 5:30 AM. Driven by curiosity, I eventually used the Merlin Bird ID app to identify the singer and discovered it was the Light-vented Bulbul. My research confirmed that Light-vented Bulbuls are most active in the early morning, often serving as a "natural alarm clock" for residents. Their calls are most prominent around sunrise, usually between 5:00 and 5:30 AM, and serve important ecological purposes: Territorial Defense: Loudly declaring their presence to warn off rival birds. Attracting Mates: Using their varied songs to communicate with potential partners during the breeding season. While their morning routine is remarkably consistent, I learned that the exact timing and intensity of their calls can vary based on a few factors: The Breeding Season: They are at their noisiest during the spring months when they are most focused on nesting. Environmental Conditions: Factors like the daily temperature and even the specific timing of the sunrise can shift their "start time" slightly.
2022 年 6 月，我剛回臺灣去小琉球玩的時候，就被白頭翁的叫聲吸引住了，雖然它的叫聲沒有紅耳鵯那麼生動有變化，但是清脆響亮，每天早上從旅館二樓的陽台上，欣賞著它們的叫聲，開啟了假期的快樂的一天。
直到我去陽明山健行，我才意識到白頭翁在台灣有多常見。它與五色鳥和麻雀一起，在許多地區被認為是「都市三寶」之一。
白頭翁是雌雄同型，雄性和雌性外型相似。體上大致欖綠色，頭後枕有醒目大白斑。正是這醒目的白色「頭冠」使它在中文裡常被稱為「白頭鵯」或「白頭殼仔」。
它是一種真正的鳴禽，它以聒噪喧嘩而聞名。在繁殖季節，它的叫聲會變得更加嘹亮富變化。
這些鳥類喜歡棲息在高高的樹枝上觀察周圍環境。它們是雜食性動物，以昆蟲、種子和水果等多種食物為食。
2026 年 4 月，我住在內湖時，每天早上 5 點半左右都會被鳥鳴聲吵醒。出於好奇，我好奇的用 Merlin Bird ID 程式來辨認鳴叫的鳥，才知道這叫聲是白頭翁。我的研究證實，白頭翁在清晨最為活躍，常常充當居民的「天然鬧鐘」。它們的鳴叫聲在日出前後最為響亮，通常在早上 5 點到 5 點半之間，具有重要的生態意義：領地防禦：大聲鳴叫以示警告，驅趕其他鳥類。吸引配偶：在繁殖季節利用各種不同的鳴叫聲與潛在的配偶交流。雖然它們的晨間活動規律非常穩定，但我發現，它們鳴叫的具體時間和強度會受到以下幾個因素的影響：繁殖季節：春季是它們最活躍的時期，因為它們當時正專注於築巢。環境條件：諸如每日氣溫甚至日出時間等因素都會略微改變它們的「開始時間」。
Notes 筆記
- The light-vented bulbul (scientific name: Pycnonotus sinensis), also called the Chinese bulbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family.
- It is found in central and southern China, Hong Kong, Macao, northern Vietnam, southern Japan and Taiwan.
- The particular characteristic of the light-vented bulbul is the large white patch covering the nape and the sides of its black head.
- They are lively and active. They are not afraid of people. They eat insects, seeds and fruits. They are omnivorous.
- They often appear in groups in bushes, hills and forests in plains, and on various tall wires and trees in campuses, parks, courtyards, and sidewalks.
- Bird watchers in Taiwan often refer to the light-vented bulbul, sparrow and Japanese White-eye as the “Three Treasures of the City”. In Shanghai, the light-vented bulbul is also listed as the “Four Great Kings” along with the sparrow, Turdus mandarinus and the Streptopelia chinensis.
- March to May is the breeding season of the light-vented bulbul every spring. During this period, if you see a the light-vented bulbul standing alone on a prominent branch or on the top of a tree, calling loudly, another the light-vented bulbul will fly over soon after. When the two birds sing together, they are probably singing love songs to each other.
- 白頭翁（學名：Pycnonotus sinensis），又名中國鵯(白頭鵯、白頭鵠仔)，是鵯科的一種鳴禽。
- 分佈於中國中南部、香港、澳門、越南北部、日本南部和台灣。
- 白頭翁的特殊特徵是覆蓋在頸背和黑色頭部兩側的大片白色斑塊。
- 性活潑，不甚畏人。食昆蟲，種子和水果，屬雜食性。
- 常成群出現在平原區灌木叢、丘陵樹林地帶，以及校園、公園、庭院、行道中的各種高高的電線與樹上。
- 台灣的賞鳥人士常將白頭翁、麻雀、綠繡眼合稱為「城市三寶」，在上海白頭翁也與麻雀、中國黑鶇和珠頸斑鳩並列為「四大金剛」。
- 每年春天三月到五月是白頭翁的繁殖期，這段期間，如果見到一隻白頭翁單獨站在突出的枝頭或是樹頂上高聲鳴叫，過不了多久，另一隻白頭翁飛過來，兩隻鳥一唱一和，那多半就是牠們在互唱情歌了。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Light-vented bulbul
- 百科知識: 白頭翁[鵯科鳥類]
- 維基百科: 白頭翁
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