White Cheeked Bulbul, originally uploaded by malyousif.
The bulbul is disappearing fast from Bahrain due to not only the disappearance of its natural habitat, the palm groves, but the encroachment of new predators like the crow as well as it being sought as a song bird.
The environmental agencies in Bahrain are trying to eradicate those threats by banning people from selling bulbuls in popular markets here and by trying to eradicate the crows.
I don’t know how successful they are in their program, I can tell you though that I have noticed a marked increase in these very welcome visitors to our garden in the last year.
This guy posed quite happily for me at the tip of a palm frond in our front garden this morning.
Have a wonderful, happy, peaceful and fulfilling Friday my friends.
Comments
Great snap, mahmood… I too have noticed bulbuls quite often. Though I’m not sure if it’s conservation or the fact that I’m picking photography as a hobby!
Photography certainly opens your eyes to a lot of things around you doesn’t it? I think it also makes you appreciate life more, as you are much more aware of your surroundings.
When the Summer kinda’ kicks in early May, we always notice 2 Bulbuls that like looking at their reflection in our bedroom window. These birds look great, and are very easy to train and are attached to humans. There are many different kinds, unfortunately like Mahmood mentions that they are considered an endangered species, the Bulbuls being sold at pet-shops and local markets are Pakistani Bulbuls, they differ slightly in shape. We used to have one as a pet who was very friendly. He will be greatly missed… 😎
I hope that the Bahraini government can get rid of the crows. Fortunately, being a rather small island, it should be easier to spot and eliminate them. Song birds are a special thing to have, and unfortunately song bird populations around the world are in danger.
My favorite song bird here is the mocking bird, because you can hear them singing and making noise as late as 3 AM when everything else is asleep.
bal baly bal boool
What a coincident! I was passing by your house few nights ago with a friend, and he reminded me with an incident that happened to me at the exact spot of your house when I was a kid.. falling off a 4-meters palm tree while trying to remove a baby bulbul from its nest! Those days, a baby bulbul worths a fortune at the Wednesday market – 200 fils 🙂
Ah, is that what that dent on the ground is from then?! :w00t:
Hi Mahmood,
I heard a rumor that crows are being brought into Bahrain aboard ships by ill-willed people and being released here. Again, this is just a rumor, conpiracy-theory thing, but its sad, cause you just see so many crows everywhere, eating the crops and feasting on dead carcases. There was a time when the municipality was giving away a reward of BD 1 for every crow caught, can’t vouch for that either, but so I heard
Anyone know if this is true?
Peace,
SoulSearch
I don’t know the migratory patterns of crows, but I too heard that the crows accompany some ships coming from India. No conspiracy there. I know that the one Dinar prize is given per crow caught and I think they still do it.
i reached this website while searching the net to find a way to buy a bulbul,either a yellow vented bulbul or white cheeked bulbul in abu dhabi !im dying to have one.ANY HELP??????