Pycnonotus xanthopygos
Identity and identification
White-spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos belongs to Pycnonotidae. A black head and conspicuous white eye-ring accompany a grey-brown body and yellow undertail. The eye-ring differs from White-eared Bulbul’s large white cheek patch: these are distinct species. It is placed in the order Passeriformes. The IUCN category carried in AviList 2026 is Least Concern (LC).
Habitat, food and behaviour
Gardens, orchards, scrub and open woodland near people provide habitat. It eats fruit and insects, visiting fruiting trees in pairs or small groups. Calls are strong and varied. Native plants fruiting at different times sustain food through the season.
Breeding and parental care
A cup nest of fibres and plant material is placed in a shrub or tree. Both parents feed young; clutch and developmental measurements vary among study sites. Vegetation cover and nest position matter. Garden trees should not be penetrated to watch chicks at close range.
Range and Arab occurrence
It is associated with the eastern Mediterranean and parts of Arabia. Lebanon’s updated checklist describes a widespread breeding resident from the coast to moderate elevations. A shared bulbul name does not give the three species identical ranges or field marks.
Seasonality and observation
Residents can be followed in November around fruit and tree cover. Document the eye-ring, yellow undertail and location; frontal photographs may conceal the yellow area.
Ecological role and conservation
Fruit feeding contributes to dispersal of some seeds, while insects are also consumed. Scrub removal, simplified gardens and pesticides reduce food and nests. Diverse native planting and dense cover provide more suitable resources than indiscriminate human scraps.
References
Ramadan-Jaradi et al. — Updated checklist of the birds of Lebanon, Sandgrouse 42 (2020), 186–238.
Zoology in the Middle East — Breeding biology of White-spectacled Bulbul (2017).
AviList Core Team — AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2026 (20 October 2026).
Photo: Dan Horowitz — CC0 1.0.