Styan's bulbul (''Pycnonotus taivanus'', ) is an

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

species of

bulbul The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical ...

found in eastern and southern Taiwan. Though common in some areas, it has been listed as a species vulnerable to extinction. Its decline has been caused by

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and hybridisation with the closely related Chinese or

light-vented bulbul The light-vented bulbul (''Pycnonotus sinensis''), also called the Chinese bulbul, is a species of bird in the bulbul family found in central and southern China, Hong Kong, Macao, northern Vietnam, southern Japan and Taiwan, with occasional rec ...

. The two species' ranges overlap in several areas, partly because birds of the latter species have been released for Buddhist ceremonies. The species has already become extinct in Yilan County (Taiwan).

Taxonomy and systematics

Alternate names for Styan's bulbul include the Formosan black-headed bulbul and Taiwan black-headed bulbul ( zh, 烏頭翁: meaning “black head bird”). The latter name is also used to refer to a subspecies of the light-vented bulbul.

Description

Styan's bulbul has a very similar appearance to the light-vented bulbul, but they differ in the patterns on the head. Styan's bulbul has a completely black crown with white feathers around its eye, except for a black moustachial stripe below the beak. Hybrids are intermediate between the two species, with the moustachial stripe and white feathers around the eye, but the white feathers extend behind the crown.

References

External links

Birdlife factsheet

Styan's bulbul Styan's bulbul (''Pycnonotus taivanus'', ) is an Endemism, endemic species of bulbul found in eastern and southern Taiwan. Though common in some areas, it has been listed as a species vulnerable to extinction. Its decline has been caused by habit ...

Endemic birds of Taiwan

{{Pycnonotidae-stub