Olive-winged Bulbul

Fascinating facts about the Olive-winged Bulbul

• Blyth described the olive-winged bulbul in 1845, noting its presence in the Malay Peninsula, Java and Borneo.
• When you step into a subtropical lowland forest on Sumatra, you’ll hear the olive-winged bulbul hopping among fruiting trees, snatching both berries and insects, an everyday reminder that even tiny birds weave together plant and insect worlds.
• In 1912, Oberholser described the western Sumatra population as a separate form, P. p. porphyreus, highlighting how island chains can spark subtle splits within a species.
• In 2010 the ashy-fronted bulbul was reclassified and is no longer considered a subspecies of the olive-winged bulbul.

At a glance

About the Olive-winged Bulbul

The olive-winged bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds found in south-eastern Asia and the Greater Sunda Islands, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It eats fruit and insects. Until 2010, the ashy-fronted bulbul was considered a subspecies of the olive-winged bulbul. Four subspecies are recognized: P. p. porphyreus, P. p. plumosus, P. p. hutzi, and P. p. hachisukae.

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