About Pycnonotus zeylanicus (Gmelin, 1789)
The straw-headed bulbul, with the scientific name Pycnonotus zeylanicus, is a songbird species that belongs to the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. Its distribution ranges from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo. Its natural habitats include subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical mangrove forest, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, as well as arable land, plantations, and rural gardens. This species is threatened by both habitat loss and poaching. The straw-headed bulbul is valued for its singing ability, and is a very popular, highly sought-after species among bird enthusiasts in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia. This illegal wildlife trade has caused population declines throughout the species' entire range, and is a major obstacle to conservation efforts for the species. In recent years, the spread of logging roads through the species' forest habitat has made it easier for trappers to access and capture the birds. As a result of these threats, the straw-headed bulbul was uplisted from Endangered to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2018.
