The yellow-bearded greenbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in western Africa.
Region
West Africa (Upper Guinea)
Typical Environment
Occurs in the Upper Guinea forests from Sierra Leone and Guinea through Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire to western Ghana. Prefers primary and mature secondary lowland rainforest, but also uses forest edges, gallery forests, and shaded plantations. Most activity is in the understorey to mid-storey, especially around fruiting trees and dense thickets. It is generally patchy where forest cover is fragmented.
Altitude Range
0–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This forest songbird is a member of the bulbul family and is named for the small yellow 'beard' of feathers on its chin and malar area. It often joins mixed-species flocks in the understorey, helping locate fruiting trees. By swallowing small fruits whole and later passing the seeds, it serves as an important seed disperser in West African rainforests. Habitat loss from logging and agricultural expansion is the main threat.
Temperament
shy and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or in small groups, and frequently joins mixed-species flocks in the forest understorey. Builds a cup-shaped nest in dense vegetation, typically a few meters above ground. Breeding often corresponds with rainy seasons when fruit and insect availability peak.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song consists of mellow, whistled phrases delivered in short sequences, often repeated. Calls include soft chattering notes and sharper scolds when alarmed.
Plumage
Olive to olive-brown upperparts with slightly paler, yellow-tinged underparts and a soft, bushy chin tuft forming a small 'beard'. The plumage is fairly uniform with subtle shading between upper and lower parts.
Diet
Takes a variety of small fruits and berries, including figs and other soft drupes, often swallowing them whole. Supplements diet with insects and other small arthropods gleaned from leaves and branches. Will sally short distances to snatch prey and probes among foliage for hidden invertebrates. Plays a role in seed dispersal across its forest range.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the understorey and mid-storey of moist lowland forests, especially at fruiting trees and along edges and clearings. Also feeds in secondary growth and shaded agroforestry systems where cover remains dense.
