Singer from the south: Yellow-browed Bulbul

Want to hear and know more about this song bird from the bulbul family? Read on..

Yellow-browed bulbul is a fairly common bird across the Western ghats of the Indian Subcontinent way down including Sri Lanka. I have seen, observed and photographed this bird many a times, but nothing like the opportunity at Tattekad, Kerala. Subtle light passing through the canopy of trees makes it a real treat for the eyes, both the photographer’s as well as the camera’s (sensor)!

Yellow-browed Bulbul – Portrait

Tattekad in Kerala, like most of the tropical forests of Western ghats, is a rich biodiversity hotspot and the bird sanctuary here is named after the bird man of India, Dr. Salim Ali. This being the first bird sanctuary in the state of Kerala.

One December afternoon, still humid, I patiently waited inside a bird hide to observe and photograph as many birds as viable. This hide was set-up in a private property, adjacent to the famous bird sanctuary and ‘the’ place to witness most of the action at the same time least disturbance for birds. The beauty about bird hides are, you get to observe birds to your heart’s content without disturbing them. This also helps you create well composed images, which we call “portfolio shots”. What you see here is one such image.

Yellow-browed Bulbul (from bird hide)

Yellow-browed bulbuls are generally found in pairs or small groups and call loudly. They love to feed on berries and insects too. Their call stands out with varied, and near-continuous whistles. Songs include brief, bright, loud calls. Attached is one such recording shared on the Xeno-canto resource site.

Watch this space for many more such wonders from the Western Ghats!