• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic note

Hypsipetes leucocephalus and H. ganeesa (del Hoyo and Collar 2016) were previously lumped as H. leucocephalus following Sibley & Monroe (1990, 1993).

 

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	-

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2024	Least Concern
2016	Least Concern
2012	Not Recognised
2008	Not Recognised
2004	Not Recognised
2000	Not Recognised
1994	Not Recognised
1988	Not Recognised

Migratory status	full migrant	Forest dependency	medium
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	8,830,000 km2	medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding)	7,230,000 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	unknown	-	-	-
Population trend	decreasing	-	suspected	-
Generation length	3.6 years	-	-	-

Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as generally fairly common to very common (del Hoyo et al. 2005), while national population sizes have been estimated at c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs in China and c.100,000-1,000,000 breeding pairs in Taiwan (Brazil 2009). This species is considered to have a medium dependency on forest habitat, and tree cover is estimated to have declined by 7.8% within its mapped range over the past 10 years (Global Forest Watch 2022, using Hansen et al. [2013] data and methods disclosed therein). Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it is tentatively suspected that this loss of cover may have led to a decline of between 1-19% in the species' population size over the same time frame.

Trend justification:   .

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Afghanistan	extant	native	yes
Bangladesh	extant	native
Bhutan	extant	native	yes
Cambodia	extant	native	yes
China (mainland)	extant	native	yes
Hong Kong (China)	extant	native
India	extant	native	yes
Laos	extant	native	yes
Malaysia	extant	native
Myanmar	extant	native	yes
Nepal	extant	native	yes
Pakistan	extant	native	yes
Taiwan, China	extant	native	yes
Thailand	extant	native	yes
Vietnam	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Cambodia	Kirirom
Cambodia	Phnom Aural
Cambodia	Snoul / Keo Sema / O Reang
Hong Kong (China)	Tai Po Kau, Shing Mun and Tai Mo Shan area
Nepal	Annapurna Conservation Area
Nepal	Barandabhar forests and wetlands
Nepal	Bardia National Park
Nepal	Chitwan National Park
Nepal	Dang Deukhuri foothill forests and west Rapti wetlands
Nepal	Kanchenjungha Conservation Area
Nepal	Khaptad National Park
Nepal	Langtang National Park
Nepal	Mai Valley forests
Nepal	Makalu Barun National Park
Nepal	Phulchoki Mountain forests
Nepal	Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park
Nepal	Tamur valley and watershed
Thailand	Doi Chiang Dao
Thailand	Doi Inthanon
Thailand	Doi Phukha
Thailand	Khao Yai
Thailand	Mae Fang
Thailand	Mae Jarim National Park
Thailand	Mae Lao - Mae Sae
Thailand	Nanthaburi
Thailand	Thung Yai - Naresuan
Thailand	Umphang
Vietnam	Ban Thi - Xuan Lac
Vietnam	Bi Dup
Vietnam	Chu Yang Sin
Vietnam	Cong Troi
Vietnam	Cuc Phuong
Vietnam	Du Gia
Vietnam	Fan Si Pan
Vietnam	Ke Go
Vietnam	Kon Plong
Vietnam	Sinh Long
Vietnam	Tam Dao
Vietnam	Tay Con Linh
Vietnam	Tuyen Lam
Vietnam	Van Ban
Vietnam	Vu Quang

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Rural Gardens	suitable	breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial	Rural Gardens	suitable	non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial	Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest	suitable	breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial	Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest	suitable	non-breeding
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	major	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	breeding
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	non-breeding
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	breeding
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	non-breeding
Grassland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	suitable	non-breeding
Altitude	0 - 3350 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Purpose	Scale
Food - human	subsistence, national
Pets/display animals, horticulture	subsistence, national

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-bulbul-hypsipetes-leucocephalus on 18/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 18/12/2024.