Habitat
Primary and old secondary lowland dipterocarp and peatswamp forest to lower montane forest, mangroves, overgrown plantations. From sea-level - 1,000 m.
Spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus erythropthalmos) [XC151010]
by Marc Anderson from Borneo Nature Lodge, Kota Kinabatangan, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia (call)
Spectacled Bulbul (Pycnonotus) [XC303534]
by Peter Boesman from Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia (song)
Nest
A deep cup composed of dead leaves, rootlets and plant fibers, lined with fine grass, in the fork of a bush or small tree about 1.5 - 9 m above the ground.
Eggs (Guide)
2; off-white with purplish-brown and greyish speckles.
Subspecies
Probably warrants placement with Red-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus brunneus) in a separate genus; both appear rather distantly related to the "Pycnonotus capensis complex" and "Pycnonotus cafer complex". Species name often misspelt as erythrophthalmos or erythropthalmus. Earlier names for this taxon (simplex and pusillus) are invalid, as either improperly instated or preoccupied within genus. Form on Borneo has been thought subspecifically distinct, and was initially named pusillus, then renamed salvadorii, but indistinguishable in larger series from other populations. Three other described subspecies, cyanochrous, isus and pammicrus (all from western Sumatran islands), also treated as junior synonyms.
Similar Species
Distinguished from Cream-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus simplex) and Red-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus brunneus) by a narrow eye-ring and yellow underwing coverts.
References
See References.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet