White-bearded Greenbul

Criniger ndussumensis

The White-bearded Greenbul, *Criniger ndussumensis*, is a distinctive member of the bulbul family (Pycnonotidae), renowned for its striking white throat contrasting with a greyish breast. This medium-sized passerine, typically measuring 20-22 cm in length and weighing around 30-40 grams, sports olive-green upperparts, a rufous vent, and often has a hint of yellowish on the flanks, making it a charismatic denizen of African forests. Its most identifiable field mark is the conspicuous white pat...

Habitat

This species primarily inhabits the understory and mid-story of lowland evergreen rainforests, including primary and mature secondary forests, as well as forest edges and dense riverine thickets, typically found below 1,000 meters in elevation.

Diet

The White-bearded Greenbul has an omnivorous diet, primarily consisting of insects and other invertebrates gleaned from foliage, supplemented significantly by various forest fruits and berries.

Behavior

White-bearded Greenbuls are largely diurnal, exhibiting a somewhat skulking nature as they forage within dense vegetation, often detected more by their vocalizations than by sight. They employ a 'gleaning' foraging strategy, meticulously picking insects from foliage and snatching fruits from bran...

Range

The White-bearded Greenbul possesses a broad, though somewhat fragmented, distribution across the rainforest belt of West and Central Africa. Its range extends from southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon, eastward through southern Central African Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and ma...

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Fun Facts

- The White-bearded Greenbul's distinctive white throat patch is so prominent it often appears like a "beard," giving the species its evocative common name. - Despite its relatively small size, its loud, far-carrying whistles and chirps are a signature sound of the central African rainforest unde...

Back to Encyclopedia