Grey-headed bristlebill

The grey-headed bristlebill is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in West Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical or tropical swamps.

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Distribution

Region

West Africa (Upper Guinean forests)

Typical Environment

Occurs from Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone east through Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and into Togo and Benin, mainly within the Upper Guinean rainforest belt. Prefers intact and semi-degraded lowland evergreen forest, gallery forest, and swamp forest. Frequently uses dense thickets, vine tangles, and forest edges for cover. It is largely a lowland species but may range into foothills where forest persists.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1000 m

Climate Zone

Tropical

Characteristics

Size20–23 cm

Wing Span28–32 cm

Male Weight0.05 kg

Female Weight0.047 kg

Life Expectancy7 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

The grey-headed bristlebill is a shy, understory songbird of West Africa’s lowland forests, named for the stiff bristles at the base of its bill that help it manipulate prey. It often stays hidden in dense foliage, revealing itself by rich, whistled phrases. The species tolerates secondary growth and swamp-forest edges, but remains dependent on forest cover.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

shy and skulking

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats through dense understory

Social Behavior

Usually found singly or in pairs, sometimes accompanying mixed-species flocks in the understory. Builds a neat cup nest in low shrubs or vines, typically well concealed. Both adults are thought to share nesting duties and provisioning of young.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Song consists of rich, fluty whistles and melodious phrases, often repeated from a hidden perch. Calls include sharp tchik notes and scolding chatter when alarmed.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Grey-headed bulbul

The grey-headed bulbul is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in south-western India, and found from Goa south to Tamil Nadu at altitudes up to 1200m. It is found in dense reeds or thickets mainly near rivers and swampy areas inside forests. They have a distinctive call that reveals their presence inside dense vegetation where they are hard to spot.

Grey-headed bushshrike

The grey-headed bushshrike, colloquially known as the ghostbird, is a species of passerine bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, although relatively absent in Central Africa and the interior of southern Africa. It is the most widespread species of its genus, which consists of large bushshrikes with massive bills and mournful hooting calls. It occurs sparsely in a range of wooded habitats, though typically in denser vegetation within dry or moist savannah. The monogamous pairs occupy woodland with sufficient cover. They are sedentary, but will undertake limited post-breeding movements.

Grey-headed canary-flycatcher

The grey-headed canary-flycatcher, sometimes known as the grey-headed flycatcher, is a species of small flycatcher-like bird found in tropical Asia. It has a square crest, a grey hood and yellow underparts. They are found mainly in forested habitats where they often join other birds in mixed-species foraging flocks. Pairs are often seen as they forage for insects by making flycatcher-like sallies and calling aloud. Several subspecies are recognized within their wide distribution range. In the past the genus Culicicapa was considered to be an Old World flycatcher but studies have found them to belong to a new family designated as the Stenostiridae or fairy flycatchers that include the African genera Stenostira and Elminia.