The Black Bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus)—also known as the Himalayan or Asian Black Bulbul—is a prominent resident of the Himalayas and East Asia, with a range stretching from India through to Southeast Asia. I was lucky enough to spot one at Shihtou Mountain Park in the Jinshan District (North Coast) in May 2025.
The Black Bulbul is sexually monomorphic, meaning males and females look identical. Its most striking features are its bright red bill and legs, which contrast sharply against an almost entirely black body. The flight and tail feathers are a slightly lighter shade of grey. The feathers on the back of its head are short and bushy, forming a distinct, messy crest that gives it a bit of character. While most have dark plumage, some subspecies are known as "white-headed morphs," where the head is entirely white while the rest of the body remains black.
Like its relatives, the Red-whiskered Bulbul and the Light-vented Bulbul, the Black Bulbul is incredibly lively and noisy. In fact, it is often the loudest bird in the forest! They prefer to stay high up, perching on the very tops of tall trees or prominent dead branches to survey their surroundings. Outside of the breeding season, they are highly social. In autumn and winter, they gather in large, energetic flocks. Interestingly, they often spend the winter in the mountains.
紅嘴黑鵯，又稱喜馬拉雅黑鵯、亞洲黑鵯或黑短腳鵯，是喜馬拉雅山脈和東亞地區的常見鳥類，分佈範圍從印度一直延伸到東南亞。我有幸於 2025 年 5 月在北海岸金山區獅頭山公園看到了一隻。
紅嘴黑鵯是雌雄同型的，也就是說雄性和雌性外型完全相同。它最顯著的特徵是嘴及腳紅色，全身黑色、僅飛羽及尾羽帶灰色。頭後羽毛短而蓬鬆、形成短羽冠，賦予它一些個性。雖然大多數黑鵯的羽毛顏色較深，但也有一些亞種被稱為白頭變種，它們的頭部完全是白色的，而身體的其他部分仍然是黑色的。
與它的近親紅耳鵯和白頭翁一樣，紅嘴黑鵯非常活潑好動，叫聲也十分響亮。事實上，它常常是森林裡叫聲最大的鳥！它們喜歡棲息在高處，高大的樹木頂端或顯眼的枯枝上，觀察周圍的環境。除繁殖期外，秋冬會聚集大群，反向飛往山上度冬。
Notes 筆記
- The black bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus), also known as the Himalayan black bulbul or Asian black bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek hupsi meaning "high" with petēs meaning "-flyer". The specific epithet leucocephalus is from Ancient Greek leukokephalos meaning "white-headed" (from leukos "white" and -kephalos "-headed").
- There are a number of subspecies, mostly varying in the shade of the body plumage which ranges from grey to black, and some also occur in white-headed morphs. The legs and bill are always rich orange-red and the head has a black fluffy crest.
- The distribution range is mainly in the mainland area of the Eastern Ocean, from the western edge of the Himalayas in the west, through the vast areas of southern China, to Taiwan in the east, and to the southern Indochina Peninsula in the south. This bulbul is found in broad-leaved forests, cultivation and gardens mainly in hilly areas, but Himalayan populations are known to sometimes descend into the adjoining plains in winter.
- Black bulbuls feed mainly on seeds and insects, and they are often seen in small groups, either roosting or flying about in search of food. They are particularly fond of berries.
- They can be quite noisy, making various loud chirping, meowing and grating calls.
- 紅嘴黑鵯也被稱為喜馬拉雅黑鵯或亞洲黑鵯，雀形目鵯科的一種鳥類。屬名結合了古希臘語中的 hupsi “高”和 petēs “飛”的意思。種小名leucocephalus 來自古希臘語 leukokephalos，意思是“白頭”（leukos “白色”和 -kephalos “頭”）。
- 有許多亞種，大部分的身體羽色從灰色到黑色不等，但有些是白頭變種。嘴喙和腳為深橘紅色且頭部有黑色松冠羽。
- 分佈範圍主要在東洋的大陸地區，西起喜馬拉雅山脈西緣，經中國南方，東迄台灣，南抵中南半島南部。這種鵯主要分佈在丘陵地區的闊葉林、耕地和花園中，但喜馬拉雅種群有時會在冬季降到毗鄰的平原上。
- 紅嘴黑鵯主要以種子和昆蟲為食，它們經常成群活動，或棲息或飛來飛去尋找食物。它們特別喜歡漿果。
- 它們相當喧鬧，發出各種響亮的唧唧聲、喵喵聲和刺耳的叫聲。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Black bulbul
- 維基百科: 紅嘴黑鵯
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