Common Bulbul Similar Species Comparison

Main SpeciesCommon Bulbul

Adult (Dark-capped)

A medium-sized brown-and-gray songbird with a peaked crown, dark brown to blackish head, and grayish-white underparts. The “Dark-capped” group of southern Africa has yellow undertail coverts.

Adult (Common)

The “Common” group of northern Africa has a dark brown head, brown upperparts, a gray breast that gives way to a white belly, and white undertail coverts that contrast strongly with a blackish tail.

Adult (Dark-capped)

A medium-sized brown-and-gray songbird with a peaked crown. Birds in southern Africa have bright yellow undertail coverts.

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Adult (Dodson's)

The “Dodson’s” group, found in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya, has brown breast spotting, scaly-looking upperparts, and bright yellow undertail coverts.

Adult (Dodson's)

The “Dodson’s” group has light-tipped tail feathers and extensive breast spotting, with no clear break between the brown breast and white belly.

Adult (Dark-capped)

Feeds mostly on fruit, but also eats insects, spiders, nectar, flowers, and small lizards.

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Adult (Dark-capped)

“Dark-capped” Common Bulbul is widespread across southern Africa. Like the “Dodson’s” group, it has bright yellow undertail coverts.

Adult (Dark-capped)

The “Dark-capped” group has a very dark, almost blackish face. The lighter brown breast is clearly delineated from the whitish belly, which then gives way to yellow undertail coverts.

Adult (Dark-capped)

Often occurs around people in gardens, orchards, and other inhabited areas.

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Adult (Dark-capped)

Occurs almost everywhere trees and shrubs are found (except for extensive undisturbed forest).

Adult (Somali)

Takes food at feeders, picnic sites, and campgrounds.

Adult (Dark-capped)

Pairs and small groups give loud chattering calls.

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Adult (Somali)

The “Somali” group, which is mostly found in Ethiopia, has white undertail coverts like the “Common” group.

Adult (Somali)

The “Somali” group shows a scalloped look on the breast due to the pale edges of the brown breast feathers.

Adult (Common)

The “Common” group has recently expanded northward into extreme southern Spain.

Adult (Common)

Occurs almost everywhere trees and shrubs are found (except for extensive undisturbed forest).

Similar SpeciesBlack-fronted Bulbul

Black-fronted Bulbul is similar to Common Bulbul

Black-fronted Bulbul overlaps broadly with “Dark-capped” Common Bulbul in southern Africa, and the two hybridize extensively in a narrow area. Note Black-fronted Bulbul’s striking orange-red eyering and “messy” dark spotting on the breast (compared to “Dark-capped” Common Bulbul’s clean break between brown breast and whitish belly).

Similar SpeciesWhite-spectacled Bulbul

White-spectacled Bulbul is similar to Common Bulbul

White-spectacled Bulbul’s range meets “Common” Common Bulbul’s range at the Suez Canal in eastern Egypt. White-spectacled has a whitish eyering on a blackish head, rather uniform light gray underparts, and yellow undertail coverts (versus white undertail coverts in “Common” Common Bulbul).

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