Scientific Name: Pycnonotus plumosus
Malay Name: Merbah Telinga Lorek Melayu
Chinese Name: 橄榄褐鹎
Range: Found from the Thai-Malay Peninsula to Indonesia and Philippines
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: plumosus, hutzi, hachisukae, porphyreus.
Local Subspecies: plumosus
Size: 20-20.5 cm
Identification: Adult has whitish streaks on ear-coverts, brownish upperparts with distinctive yellowish-olive flight feathers, pale brownish underparts, dark red eyes, all-dark bill and dark buffish undertail-coverts. Juvenile resembles adult but has brownish eyes and duller flight feathers.
Similar looking species: Cream-vented Bulbul, Asian Red-eyed Bulbul
Habitat: Forest, forest edge, secondary growth, wooded area and mangroves.
Behaviour/Ecology:
Local Status: Common resident
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Central Catchment Forest, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Bukit Batok Nature Park, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Pasir Ris Park, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa,
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Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Olive-winged Bulbul)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Pycnonotus plumosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103834549A94346461.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Olive-winged Bulbul. Retrieved on July 11, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/olive-winged-bulbul.