Hemixos flavala
The Ashy Bulbul (Hemixos flavala) is an elegant passerine bird renowned for its subtle yet striking plumage and active forest life across Southeast Asia. Measuring approximately 19-21 cm in length and weighing between 28-35 grams, it sports an ash-grey head, nape, and mantle, which contrasts beautifully with an olive-green back and a bright yellow vent and undertail coverts. Its dark, almost blackish, wings often feature a distinctive yellow or whitish panel, serving as a key field mark along...
This species primarily inhabits subtropical and tropical moist lowland and montane broadleaf evergreen forests, including forest edges. It is typically found in hilly terrain at elevations ranging from 300 to 2000 meters above sea level.
Their diet is omnivorous, consisting primarily of a wide variety of insects such as beetles and caterpillars, as well as an array of fruits and berries. Nectar can also supplement their intake, especially when in season.
Ashy Bulbuls are highly diurnal, active throughout the day, and roost communally in dense foliage at night. Their foraging strategy is predominantly arboreal, gleaning insects and fruits from leaves and branches, often darting out to hawk flying insects in mid-air. Outside the breeding season, th...
The Ashy Bulbul boasts an extensive and stable geographic distribution across a significant portion of Southeast Asia and parts of the Indian subcontinent. Its breeding and resident range stretches from the eastern Himalayas, encompassing Nepal, Bhutan, northeast India, and Bangladesh, extending ...
Least Concern
- The Ashy Bulbul is a 'nuclear species' in mixed-species foraging flocks, meaning other bird species often follow its movements to find food. - Its striking bright yellow vent contrasts sharply with its otherwise subdued ash-grey and olive plumage. - There are at least seven recognized subspecie...