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

Justification of Red List category

This species has a moderately large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (extent of occurrence <20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is not known, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Population justification
Typically considered sparsely distributed but locally common (e.g. Grimmett et al. 1998, Rasmussen and Anderton 2012) and citizen science data indicate that at some sites it is evidently quite common and regularly found (eBird 2024). Within its known range, Jha and Vasudevan (2020a) estimated that there remained approximately 75,000 km² of suitable habitat, although over 80% of fragments were less than five square kilometres in extent. While there is no density available for this species, it is reasonable to conclude that even if only a small proportion of this habitat is occupied, the species' population size is probably large (and certainly larger than the 10,000 mature individuals estimated by previous evaluations of its extinction risk: IUCN 2016).

Trend justification
The main threat to this species is the loss and degradation of often unprotected scrub and thorn forests. However, the extent of these habitat classes scarcely reduced (<1%) between 2010 and 2020 (data from Jung et al. [2020], analysed by sRedList [2023]) and while degradation of some sites is probably ongoing, there is little evidence to suggest that over the past 10 years (2013-2023) this species has declined rapidly. Accordingly it is suspected of having declined by 0-9%. In the future, suitable habitat extent is suspected to reduce in response to climate change, mostly optimistically by c.5% by 2050 (RCP 2.6) and pessimistically by c.40% by 2070 (RCP 8.5) (scenarios from Table 2: Jha and Vasudevan 2020a). However the timings and mechanisms behind these declines are uncertain and remain to be elucidated by monitoring data. Nonetheless, this should be monitored. Future declines of 0-15% over the next 10 years are therefore suspected, noting that forest loss and degradation may continue at the same pace it has over the past 10 years, and there may be compounding impacts of climate change.

Pycnonotus xantholaemus is endemic to southern India, where it occurs broadly between the Western and Eastern Ghats. Jha and Vasudevan (2020a) predicted that it may also occur in the northern Western Ghats and/or the northern Eastern Ghats, but from both of these regions resident populations remain unconfirmed (see also Subramanya 2004).

It is a largely sedentary resident, generally associated with boulder-strewn hillsides or rocky outcrops with dense undergrowth, usually under either thorn-scrub, scrub jungle, mixed dry or moist deciduous forest at 300-1,800 m. It is quite tolerant of denuded habitat, although not found on completely bare hills. Some local or altitudinal movements may be made in response to the abundance of fruiting trees. It is encountered in pairs or small groups of six or more. Berry-bearing shrubs, particularly Securinega, Toddalia, Erythroxylon, Solanum, Santalum, Ziziphus, Ficus, Canthium, Phyllanthus and Lantana, are important food sources (S. Subramanya in litt. 2012). It also feeds on insects. Evidence suggests that the species breeds in the south-west monsoon, between June and August (Subramanya et al. 2006).

The key threats are habitat loss and degradation owing to commercial quarrying for granite, cutting and lopping of trees for fuelwood, clearance for cultivation and intensive browsing of berry-bearing shrubs by domestic livestock. However, some of the degraded hills within the species' range around Bangalore, India are showing remarkable recovery of vegetation, primarily owing to reduced dependence of local people for fuelwood from the hill habitat and slowly switching over to cooking gas in villages found around these hill habitats (S. Subramanya in litt. 2016). Overall ongoing habitat loss and degradation is thought to be driving only slow declines. Suitable habitat extent is suspected to reduce in response to climate change, mostly optimistically by c.5% by 2050 (RCP 2.6) and pessimistically by c.40% by 2070 (RCP 8.5) (scenarios from Table 2: Jha and Vasudevan 2020a). However the timings and mechanisms behind these declines are uncertain and remain to be elucidated by monitoring data.

Conservation Actions Underway
Some habitat within its range is afforded nominal protection, although most is not covered by the protected area network. 

Conservation Actions Proposed
Protect areas of suitable habitat with the support of local communities. Monitor habitat extent to track likely population trends. Instigate population monitoring to track the impact of climate change.

20 cm. Rather plain, olive-and-greyish bulbul. Yellow throat, undertail-coverts and tail-tip. Plain head, greyish breast and belly. Similar spp. White-browed Bulbul P. luteolus has pale supercilium and lacks yellow throat and tip of tail. Voice Explosive conversational babble pit pit pit, woopit woopit, pit pit ut utoo pit pit ut utoo and nasal, mellow rhid-tu-tu.

Text account compilers
Berryman, A.

Contributors
Ahmed, A., Ghorpade, K., Jayadevan, P., Riyazuddin, S. & Subramanya, S.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Yellow-throated Bulbul Pycnonotus xantholaemus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/yellow-throated-bulbul-pycnonotus-xantholaemus on 23/11/2024.
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 23/11/2024.