Scientific Name: Rubigula melanictera

IUCN Classification: Least Concerned

A black-capped bulbul species that is identified from other related bulbuls – ones sharing similar outer appearance such as the yellow-browed and yellow-eared bulbuls – by the black cap on the face and pinnacle of its head parts. This species of bulbul is earmarked by the mild greenish-yellow coverts, the bright yellow underparts and the black head. The black-capped bulbul does not wear headgear in the form of a characteristic crest.

The black-capped bulbul is especially encountered where there are abundant trees, with forests, open woodlands and foothills being favorites of this largely arboreal species, but can be observed in gardens and lowlands. The black-capped bulbul is endemic to Sri Lanka and mostly sighted in the wet zone of the country.

The song of the black-capped bulbul is a warbling whistle sounding like “wet-wet-wet-wer-wer-wer-weer” with a crescendo towards the end of its characteristic psalm.

There have been 7707 observations, including 492 documented with photos, of this endemic species, on E-Bird.

The black capped bulbul prior to a molecular phylogenetics study performed on the bulbul family in 2017 [Shakya et al., 2017] was officially placed in the genus Pynonuntus, which was deemed polyphyletic and consequently the revised classification included the black-capped bulbul in a new genus, with the genus name christened from Pycnonotus to Rubigula.

References

1. https://ebird.org/species/bkcbul2

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-capped_bulbul

3. Shakya, Subir B.; Sheldon, Frederick H. (2017). “The phylogeny of the world’s bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) inferred using a supermatrix approach”. Ibis. 159 (3): 498–509. doi:10.1111/ibi.12464