The straw-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo.
Gregarious and often perches on low branches overlooking water. Location: Bukit
Timah Nature Reserve, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Bukit Batok Nature Park,
Bukit Gombak, Central Catchment Forest, Bukit Brown and Pulau Ubin.
The Straw-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) is primarily a frugivore that feeds on
fruits, figs, and berries, supplemented by insects and small invertebrates.
They are crucial for seed dispersal in their forest habitat, often
feeding in pairs or family groups in mangroves, woodlands, and along
rivers.
Primary Diet Components
- Fruits and Berries: Their main diet consists of various soft fruits, especially figs (Ficus spp.) and mistletoe berries. They frequently consume wild "cherry" (Muntingia calabura).
- Insects and Invertebrates: They forage for spiders, beetles, caterpillars, mantids, and cockroaches
.
- Small Animals: They occasionally consume small molluscs (riverine snails) and small vertebrates like flying lizards.
- They typically forage in the canopy but are known to feed on the ground more often than other forest bulbuls.
- They may follow foraging flocks of monkeys or squirrels to catch insects disturbed by them.
- They are known to eat nectar and flower buds.
- They often use water sources to wash or soak food.
Diet in Captivity/Rehabilitation
For
rehabilitation or captive care, a suitable diet includes soft fruits
(banana, papaya, chiku), insects (worms), and specialized pellets.
The Straw-headed Bulbul is listed as critically endangered
primarily due to the illegal Asian songbird trade.
Highly prized for its loud, melodious song, it is heavily targeted by
poachers. This relentless trapping, combined with severe habitat loss
across Southeast Asia, has decimated its wild populations.
The species (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) faces two main threats:
- The Cage-Bird Trade:
Because of their beautiful calls, these birds are highly sought after
by bird enthusiasts and competitors. This demand has driven prices up,
fueling relentless poaching and local extinctions in countries like
Thailand, Myanmar, Java, and Sumatra.
- Habitat Destruction:
The loss of preferred environments—such as lowland forests, mangroves,
and riverine habitats—has severely restricted their natural living
spaces.
A Unique Haven in SingaporeWhile
the global population continues to struggle, Singapore has emerged as
an unexpected stronghold for the species. Thanks to strict wildlife
protections and over three decades of conservation efforts, the local
population of Straw-headed Bulbuls has remained stable and is even
slowly increasing.
