Brown-eared Bulbul Identification Guide

Key Field Marks

• Medium-large, slender songbird around 27–28 cm long, with a fairly long tail and a slim, slightly curved bill.
• Overall gray plumage with fine whitish streaking on the underparts, and a rufous-brown patch on the ear coverts (cheek) that gives the species its name.
• Head feathers can be raised into a loose, shaggy crest, and the wings show a subtle grayish-brown tone.
• Flight is strongly undulating, typical of bulbuls.

Separating It From Similar Species

• The combination of overall gray body plumage with a contrasting rufous-brown ear patch is distinctive among bulbuls in its range and not shared by other common East Asian songbirds.
• Its noisy, gregarious behavior and loud squealing calls also help separate it from quieter thrushes or gray-plumaged birds of similar size.
• In North America, where it is a rare vagrant (recorded in Alaska), it stands out immediately from all regular resident species due to its unique gray-and-rufous pattern and bulbul shape.

Habitat, Range & Season

• Native to Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and parts of eastern China and nearby islands.
• Common in a wide range of habitats including forests, forest edges, gardens, parks, and urban green spaces; highly adaptable to human-altered landscapes.
• Largely resident, though northern populations show some seasonal movements; a rare vagrant recorded well outside its normal range, including in western Alaska.

Voice & Behavior

• Extremely vocal and conspicuous, giving loud, harsh, squealing or whistled calls often rendered as "pee-yo" or shrill screeching notes.
• Highly social, frequently seen in noisy flocks feeding on fruit, nectar (including cherry blossoms), and insects.