Black-crested Bulbul (Pycnonotus melanicterus)
Order: PASSERIFORMES
Family: PYCNONOTIDAE Bulbuls
Scientific name: Pycnonotus melanicterus
English name: Black-crested Bulbul
Characteristic: Size 19 cm. A small bulbul with all black head and neck, except in the norheastern subspecies johnsoni that having red chin and throat also having highly-erected black crest; cream-bordered black eyes; back olivegreen; breast, belly to under tail coverts bright yellow. Both sex are alike in apperance.
Distribution: India, Southern China, all countries in Southeast Asia and the Sundas. Inhabits all forest types throughout Thailand.
Habitat: Prefers open forests, deciduous forests and edges of evergeen forests; normally on the plains, not the hilly countries. In Sakaerat forest, this bulbul can be found in all natural habitats, i.e. the dry dipterocarp forest, dry evergeen forest, ecotone between the two former forest types, forest plantations, and grass fields in dry dipterocrarp forest.
Habit: Seen oftenly in pairs or small flocks, foraging through bush tops or middle storeys of large trees for wild fruits and insects. Breeding starts from March to September; its cup-shaped nest of interwoven twigs is placed in the fork of medium-sized tree, and lined with leaves and grass blades. Its normal clutch is 3-4 eggs.
Status: An ubiquitous resident in all parts of this country. Regarded as abundat in Sakaerat forest, which here inhabited by the subspecies johnsoni legally protected as a protected wild animal.
