Scientific Name: Hypsipetes ganeesa

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Hypsipetes ganeesa is a grey to sooty black bird in appearance with a characteristic crest, square-ending tail, a reddish glowing iris, a bright red beak and orange legs & feet, endemic to the montane vegetation of Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. The square-tailed bulbul as it is commonly called, is known to descend to lower elevations in evergreen forests during heavy monsoonal downpours, even living in plantations such as tea, coffee and cardamom.

The square-tailed bulbul is known to be made up of flocks of 6-10 birds or larger, even mixed collections of foraging species that search for food together, feeding on fruits, berries, insects as well as flowers and their nectar. Mainly arboreal, it is rare to see a square-tailed bulbul among bushy vegetation.

The square-tailed bulbul breeds from March to June, building a nest composed of grass, leaves, moss and lichens, laying two eggs as its characteristic clutch size.

This mountainous bulbul species is known to make a loud whistle, while also vocalizing a nasal feline-like sound, an avian “meow”. Marked on differences in morphology and vocalization, two subspecies of the square-tailed bulbul are now recognized, ganeesa of India and humii of Sri Lanka.

Although sharing strong morphological similarities with the Black Bulbul, Hypsipetes leucocephalus, they are known to be allopatric and would never be found together in the field.

Source: Cornell Lab – Birds Of The World