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| The first Photo's in the wild, a group of Aceh Bulbul, taken by Agus Nurza in the Leuser Ecosystem rainforest Sumatra, 2010. |
The Aceh bulbul (Pycnonotus snouckaerti) is a species of songbird in the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in the mountains of north-western Sumatra and is endemic to the island. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest.
The Aceh bulbul was formerly considered as a subspecies of the orange-spotted bulbul until split by the IOC in 2016. Most other authorities have not yet recognized this split.
The species is estimated to have a small population size that is suspected of undergoing a significant ongoing population decline due to an unquantified threat from trapping for the domestic cage bird trade, exacerbated by habitat conversion and degradedation. For these reasons it is proposed to list the species as Vulnerable.
It is found above 1,000 m and prefers small, scrubby clearings dominated by grass and fern in forested areas and has been described as uncommon (Eaton and Collar 2015, Fishpool and Tobias 2016).
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| Aceh Bulbul in Leuser Ecosystem Rainforest Sumatra of Indonesia |
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| The Aceh bulbul was formerly considered as a subspecies of the orange-spotted bulbul until split by the IOC in 2016 |
Until recently considered conspecific with P. bimaculatus, but differs in its larger and higher plush orange supraloral tuft (2); lack of that species’ narrow yellowish-orange upper and (sometimes) lower “eyelids” (ns[2]); red vs brown iris (ns[2]); grey-tipped slaty-brown vs plain yellowish ear-coverts (3); distinctly grey-marked grey-brown chin to breast vs indistinctly grey-marked dark brown chin to mid-belly (ns[2]); breast coloration extending to lower belly, flanks and axillaries, leaving small whitish belly patch, vs breast coloration stopping to leave extensive whitish belly and axillaries (3); dark-mottled dull yellow vs plain bright yellow undertail-coverts (ns[2]); more yellow-olive on edges of rectrices (ns[1]); longer wings and tail (effect size for tail 3.26; score 2); reedier, less fluty voice (allow 1). Monotypic.
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| Aceh Bulbul is restricted to the northern parts of Aceh province, north Sumatra, Indonesia. |
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| Aceh Bulbul, Birding in Aceh, Birding in Sumatra, Birding with Aceh Birder |
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| Aceh Bulbul in Leuser Ecosystem Rainforest Sumatra |
Trapping for the bird trade is ongoing in this region and is suspected to have reduced bird populations at sites holding this species (Eaton and Collar 2015). The fact that none were recorded out of over 1,000 P. bimaculatus observed at Sumatran bird markets between 1997 – 2001 (Shepherd et al. 2004) may actually reflect on how restricted the range of the species actually is in comparison with P. bimaculatus and hence the low numbers available, rather than the absence of a threat from trade (Eaton and Collar 2015).
Pycnonotus snouckaerti is restricted to the northern parts of Aceh province, north Sumatra, Indonesia.
Pycnonotus snouckaerti Siebers, 1928, Takengon Lake, Aceh, Sumatra.
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| Aceh Bulbul, one of the rare bulbul in the world |
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References
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N. & Kirwan, G.M. (2020). Aceh Bulbul (Pycnonotus snouckaerti). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/1343922 on 7 April 2020).
BirdLife International (2016). "Pycnonotus snouckaerti". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2016: e.T103831996A104339935. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T103831996A104339935.en
BirdLife International (2020) Species factsheet: Pycnonotus snouckaerti. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 07/04/2020. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2020) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 07/04/2020.
