Buff-vented bulbul

Buff-vented bulbul
Nopphitam district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Pycnonotidae
Genus:	Iole
Species:	I. crypta
Binomial name
Iole crypta Oberholser, 1918
Synonyms
Hypsipetes charlottae Hypsipetes olivacea Iole charlottae Iole olivacea Microscelis charlottae

The buff-vented bulbul (Iole crypta) is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in south-eastern Myanmar, south-western Thailand, on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and nearby islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Taxonomy and systematics

The former scientific name, Iole olivacea Blyth, 1844, has now been ruled as permanently invalid by the IOC. Some authorities have classified the buff-vented bulbul in the genera Hypsipetes and Microscelis. Formerly, Charlotte's bulbul was considered as conspecific with the buff-vented bulbul until split by the IOC in 2017. Alternate names for the buff-vented bulbul include the crested olive bulbul, dull-brown bulbul and Finsch's olive bulbul.

Description

The buff-vented bulbul is a medium-sized and fairly long-billed bulbul, growing to an average length of 20–20.5 cm (7.9–8.1 in) and an average weight of 20–28 g (0.71–0.99 oz). Rather drab in its appearance, it is largely dull olive brown in colour, with a darker, more reddish crown, smoky grey to ash-brown face, and ashy sides. Its crown can look like a spiky crest when it raises its feathers. The underparts are lighter in color than the rest of the body and the undertail coverts are yellow-buff with dark brown centres.

The buff-vented bulbul is extremely similar to the smaller and shorter-billed olive bulbul, which is best told apart by its cinnamon-washed undertail-coverts, which have no dark centres. Other brownish bulbuls that share the buff-vented's range largely lack its spiky crown.

References