Red vented Bulbul

Distribution in India: Widespread resident in India

Description:

Size of 19-20 cm. The body is dark brown with a scaly pattern while the head is darker or black. The rump is white while the vent is red. The black tail is tipped in white.

Sub species:
The Himalayan races have a more prominent crest and are more streaked on the underside. The Race intermedius of the Western Himalayas has a black hood extending to the mid-breast.
Population bengalensis of Central and Eastern Himalayas and the Gangetic plain has a dark hood, lacks the scale like pattern on the underside and instead has dark streaks on the paler lower belly.
Race stanfordi of the South Assam hills is similar to intermedius.
The desert race humayuni has a paler brown mantle. T
he nominate race cafer is found in Peninsular India.
Northeast Indian race wetmorei is between cafer, humayuni and bengalensis.It is found in dry scrub, open forest, plains and cultivated lands

Food Habits:

They feed on fruits, petals of flowers, nectar, insects and occasionally geckos.

Breeding Habits:

The breeding season is mainly June- September. Nests are small flat cups made of small twigs but sometimes making use of metal wires. Nests are occasionally built inside houses or in a hole in a mud bank or holes in a Tree. The female usually lays two to three eggs, which are incubated for 2 weeks. Generally female incubate the eggs. Both parents feed the chicks and on feeding trips wait for the young to excrete, swallowing the faecal sacs produced. The pied crested cuckoo is a brood parasite of this species.