Willem is a wildlife artist based in South Africa. He says "My aim is simply to express the beauty and wonder that is in Nature, and to heighten people's appreciation of plants, animals and the wilderness. Not everything I paint is African! Though I've never been there, I'm also fascinated by Asia and I've done paintings of Asian rhinos and birds as well. I may in future do some of European, Australian and American species too. I'm fascinated by wild things from all over the world! I mainly paint in watercolours. . . but actually many media including 'digital' paintings with the computer!"

Today we have a friendly little birdie, a Yellowbellied Greenbul! For our American friends, note that there's no disparagement meant by that name, it simply does have yellow underparts. It is not one of the really cautious, skulking birds that we have; though not quite as bold as some of the other bulbuls, it nevertheless is not too difficult to catch a good glimpse of. So just more about the name � this is indeed one of the bulbuls, which include several species called 'greenbuls' or 'brownbuls', though not always accurately. In this case, it isn't really green anywhere, but it is more of a greenish-brown, apart from the underparts that can vary from somewhat dull, to brighter yellow. It also has a broken white ring around the eye. It doesn't really have a crest like some other bulbuls, but it will sometimes raise up its shaggy head feathers. Its scientific name is Chlorocichla flaviventris, which means 'yellowbellied green/yellow thrush'. Many birds that aren't actual thrushes, and some that are, have 'Cichla' as part of their genus names. Apart from its size and general shape, this bulbul is not really thrush-like at all. In Afrikaans, it is called a 'Geelborswillie' or 'Yellowbreasted Willie', the latter referring to the call of a related species, the Sombre Brownbul � which I hope to feature here soon.

Europeans and Americans are unlikely to know about bulbuls, but they will be familiar birds to birdwatchers and nature lovers all over Africa and the warmer parts of Asia. They include some very bold and vocal birds, as well as some that are extremely secretive and cryptically coloured. In Africa, the majority of species live in forests and are extremely hard to distinguish from each other visually. But at least in South Africa, they can be told from each other by their voices, all the species having characteristic songs and contact calls. If you want to know more, read my entries on other bulbul species here and here.

Among the African bulbuls, this is one of the more striking species. It doesn't live in the interior of dense forest, but rather on the edge, or in more open riverine forest, thickets, or open woodland and dry, scrubby savannah, so long as there's some shelter nearby. They sometimes occur singly but may also live in pairs or groups of up to five birds. They keep in contact by uttering a characteristic, rather nasal call. They may also utter less distinctive chattering calls. Their calls are quite uniform over their large range, which extends from southern KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, to northern Angola in Central Africa, to Kenya in East Africa. They avoid, however, the huge tropical lowland rainforest block of the Congo and western-equatorial Africa. They feed mostly on small fruits that they peck off bushes and trees, but also take in some insects and other invertebrates. It even sometimes picks ticks off large mammals, like the Oxpeckers that I hope also to write about here soon. Its nest is a rather flimsy cup made of dry grass, twigs and other bits, and stuck to a tree, shrub or creeper using cobweb. The female lays 1-3 eggs and incubate them alone. The chicks are blind, naked and helpless on hatching, and fledge in 16-18 days.

I am very fond of these birds. I saw them first in the Polokwane Bird Sanctuary, where they frequent the lush riverine woodland. I was quite excited after first managing to spot a bird after tracking it by its call. I've seen them many times since, though recently I've not found them in the reserve. They do occur widely in my home Province, Limpopo, where they can be seen in a variety of lush vegetation types. I saw them best on the farm of friends, close to the scenic town of Haenertsburg. My friends have a bird bath set up right in front of their living room window, and these bulbuls, along with a delightful variety of other bird species, make regular use of it.

Because they are widespread, abundant and adaptable, the yellowbellied greenbul is at present not of conservation concern.

Willem

15.07.24 Front Page

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