The Story
The shot
I photographed this Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) near the Mai Po Marshes in the northwest New Territories of Hong Kong, China on March 22, 2018. It perches in the open and calls loudly from treetops, especially in the morning. It has a tall, pointed black crest, a red patch behind the eye and a red vent. It is a resident fruit-eater of tropical Asia that also takes small insects. IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. The reserve supports globally important numbers of wetland birds, which arrive in winter and during spring and autumn migration. Deep Bay lies between Hong Kong’s Yuen Long District and the city of Shenzhen.
I took this with a Pentax K-1 and the HD PENTAX-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6ED DC AW, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200. WWF’s work at Mai Po, including education and bird monitoring with public help, keeps this wetland open to people and safe for birds.
©2018 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) belongs to the family Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2024), with the population trend listed as decreasing. Source: IUCN Red List
