That Bird Blog That Fish Place / That Pet Place Bird Blog
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. I first kept Red-Vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus cafer) as “filler birds” to take up space in a huge, planted aviary I maintained at the Bronx Zoo. However, their confident, inquisitive natures soon led to their being among the exhibit’s most popular inhabitants with visitors. I find them to be among the most easily-kept of the softbills (a term applied to a loose collection of “non-typical” cage birds such as Bulbuls, Pekin Robins and others), and a great species with which to start when seeking to add variety to one’s collection.
Description and Range
Red-Vented Bulbuls inhabit a huge range that extends from India east to Vietnam and south to Java; they have also been introduced to Hawaii and many other places. They inhabit open woodlands, scrub, farms, villages and cities, pairing off while breeding but otherwise going about in small groups.
Among the most readily available of their 120+ relatives, Red-Vented Bulbuls have a subtle beauty. Their plumage is a pleasing mix of light to chocolate browns, tan, white and black, with a purple-tinged red patch at the vent. When excited, angry or otherwise stimulated, bulbuls raise the head feathers into a crest, which is most amusing to behold.
Keeping Red-Vented Bulbuls
In my opinion, the Red-Vented Bulbul’s chief selling point is what can only be described as a “friendly personality”. As long as they are not crowded or stressed, Red-Vented Bulbuls are very curious about people – I was able to induce several to feed from my hand in a very short time. They really do make the most engaging pets, and in parts of Asia are kept and treated much as are parrots.
Unlike many softbills, Red-Vented Bulbuls do fine in a large indoor cage but, given their size (8 inches) and high level of activity, they really come into their own in an outdoor or indoor aviary.
Captive Diets
These little fellows are quite hardy and fare well on a high-quality insectivorous bird food (please write in if you have difficulty in locating this) into which has been mixed a bit of Softbill Select and Egg Food. Hard boiled egg and some cooked ground beef should be offered regularly.
However, a highly varied diet, packed with insects and other invertebrates, is essential if you want to keep your birds in peak color and breeding condition. I’ve always maintained insect traps, such as the Zoo Med Bug Napper, to help meet the needs of the softbills under my care.
Wild and Canned Invertebrates
Red-Vented Bulbuls relish grasshoppers, katydids, crickets, spiders, sow bugs, beetles, flies, termites, moths, mealworms, waxworms, fly larvae, silkworms – almost any invertebrate, in other words! Please see my articles on Collecting Feeder Insects to learn more about increasing dietary variety.
Canned Invertebrates marketed for use with captive reptiles and amphibians are a convenient means of increasing the nutritional content of bulbul diets.
Dried Shrimp, a food favored by old-time bird keepers for insectivorous birds of all types, should also be offered.
Further Reading
Although we aviculturists appreciate the Red-Vented Bulbul, it makes quite a pest of itself when introduced into foreign environments. Read about the trouble it is causing on Hawaii here.
I’ll cover the popular Red-Whiskered Bulbul and some others in the future. Please write in with your questions and comments.
Thanks, until next time,
Frank Indiviglio
Red-vented Bulbul image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by JMGarg
This is amazingly informative.. all the things you keep putting up are wonderful.. Hey, do you like funny stuff about birds too? I just started trying to make this webcomic about birds.. any comments you have for me, good or bad, would be quite helpful.. thanks.
==Ben Carlsen
Hello Ben, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog and the kind words, much appreciated. Looks like you are off to a good start; I’ll take another look once you have some more content up.
Good luck and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
How long do red vented bulbuls live? I have a female about to turn 2 years old this month? (March 2011)….
Any ideas?
I live in Hawaii, if I move to the US Mainland – would I be allowed to bring her as a pet?
Thanks!
Hello Eric, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for your interest in our blog. As of now, the US Dept. of Agriculture prohibits importation of the Red-Whiskered Bulbul, but not of the Red-Vented specifically.
However, your bird could be confiscated based on similarity of appearance. I would contact the USDA directly…be sure to provide them with the bird’s genus and species, and get an opinion in writing.
You should also contact the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wildlife agency of your state port of entry and final destination…animal regs are in a state of flux right now, and stricter laws are being enacted throughout the country.
The published longevity is 4 years; I believe I had several that lived to age 6, but they were in a ½ acre exhibit and, for some reason, several were banded identically!…so I’m not positive, but I would say 5 years would not be unreasonable.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
Hi this is great info. I have a red vented that was given to me when he did not en have ery many feathers. And was told that cats ate the parents. This little bird has stolen my heart and seems very bonded to me alone. He pecks and snaps at others who try to touch him. My worry is he breaks off all of his flight and tail feathers. He is almost never in his cage and is always got activities to keep his mind going. Is there anything I can do to keep him from breaking them off? Even his poor tail feathers arebroken.. Help?
Hello Kerry, Frank Indiviglio here.
Thanks for the kind words. It may be the adjustment to the cage that is causing the problem. If he’s used to flying or moving about for much of the day, he will likely continue to be active once put in the cage. Assuming there is no underlying health/nutrition problem, Broken feathers are usually the result of trauma from cage bars. Even roosting at night with the feathers pushed against the bars can be a problem (check also that he is not being startled at night by lights, noises. A larger cage may help, or perhaps re-arranging the perches, but perhaps not. A modified room or corner of a room would be ideal, but of course that is not always practical.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
hi there i am wandering if BULBUL, CANARY and FINCHES can be together in a avery cage (1 m X 2 m).
I need to know before bulbul attack them
thanks for your time
regards
mustaph
Hello Mustaph
Thanks for your interest. Bulbuls need lots of room and tend to be more aggressive than most finches; I’ve only mixed them with others in very large zoo exhibits. Many finches will co-exist with one another and with canaries, although problems can arise during the breeding season. Please let me know what species you have in mind.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.
Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.
Hi, I live in Hawaii and have successfuly raised many wild baby birds in need of help. My favorite are the Hawaiian Zebra Doves. But I just recently found a baby Bulbul sitting on my doorstep late at night in the rain. It could barely flutter and not yet fly. I took pitty on it, and took it in and fed it for a couple days. I have a small cage, and took it outside with me to water the plants and give it fresh air. I put it near our tree hoping maybe it’s parents were still around. A little while later two adult Bulbuls were swooping down from the branches chattering away at the baby bird keeping other birds away. The baby bird got excited and seemed to be calling to them. So I took the baby and put it on a low branch. I watched closely for an hour and never saw the “parents” get closer than a couple feet away, eventhough the baby was crying for food. I was convinced the parents were greatful to have it back and would welcome it with open wings. But when I got off work at 11pm, I came home and heard the baby still crying for food but now seemed more distressed and hungry, calling non stop. It had gotten to a much higher branch and was unreachable. The “parents” are still nearby in a tree. I’m going to watch the tree tomorrow and see if the baby seems more desperate for food and try and retrieve it if it seems like the parents have not resumed feeding. I’ve googled it but can’t seem to find an answer. I know that some parents won’t take the baby back after handling, but I also know it depends on the species. I was wondering if you know if Bulbuls were ones that will disown it if it smells of human, or will take it back. Any advice is appreciated. I found your post very informative and I’m very greatful. Thanks.
Hi Sierra,
Thanks for the kind words.
You did the right thing…best to leave the youngster where it is. Birds will not reject young due to scent (most have little or no sense of smell anyway, except for kiwis, some vultures). Rejection sometimes occurs due to the stress of disturbance, etc., or because of hormonal changes that occur once a youngster goes missing; (breeding is heavily influenced by hormones and also internal “clocks”…at loss of chick parents may begin re-nesting, and then may ignore chick if returned, or they may go out of breeding condition, and then not be stimulated to feed the chick if it is returned. Sometimes birds that are not the chick’s parents take an instinctual interest, but do not feed. So, it is a complicated process, no real way to predict. But bird will be better off where it may be fed, also if at fluttering stage it will try to eat on its own. Most species leave the nest well before they can fly; many are killed via accident or predators at this time, under normal circumstances. No real way around that.
Please keep me posted; any observations, comments on birds there would be most appreciated by myself and my readers, Best, Frank
When I was 9 I came across some neighborhood boys that had found a baby red vented bulbul and were planning to jump over it with their bikes.
So I ran home and grabbed my allowance and went back and bought the wild baby bird for a whole $10 dollars, best 10 dollars I’ve ever spent. I had built a little make shift Aviary since my mother refused to let it in the house. I noticed some adult Red Vented Bulbuls fluttering around it. The baby could not yet fly and so I opened the top of the cage. And then something beautiful happened… It had seemed a whole community of the birds gathered around the baby’s distress calls and then took turns feeding it. Soon the baby had around 4 or 5 adult red vented Bulbuls looking after it. I would lock it up safely away from predators at night in the warm shelter of a shoe box packed with rags. This went on until the baby was old enough to fly and eventually took off with it’s new found group of “parents”. I had never come across birds that were so loving and willing to take a baby in that wasn’t their own.
Also when I was 12 my step dad worked on a ship in the Navy. When re-painting the ship the men had come across a baby Hawaiian Zebra Dove in it’s nest. Needing to move the bird to finish painting, one of the men suggested just throwing it in the water, but my step dad stepped in and explained he would bring it home to me. I named it Pecker and we were inseperable. I did not clip it’s wings, but it stayed with me always. I would go to school and it would patiently sit through classes on my shoulder. If I went to the store, it would ride at the front of the cart and pretend it was flying. Sometimes flying back to my shoulder if it got too scared. It was the sweetest bird I’ve ever had the pleasure of caring for. I am a vegetarian obsessed with all animals, but birds are my favorite.
Hi Sierra,
great stories, thanks very much for them and your kindness,
If the timing is right, we can sometimes even get birds to accept and rear chicks of different, but related species. We often do this for endangered species at the zoo. ie. by pulling the first clutch of an endangered Pink Pigeon, we can induce the hen to lay a replacement clutch. The pulled eggs and chicks will be reared by collared doves, assuming they have been cycled properly. Has worked for pheasants, various hawks and some others. They of course there are the nest parasites…cuckoos, whydas, cowbirds, etc., which lay their eggs in the nests of “foster parents” of other species. The parasitic chicks usually hatch first and toss the other eggs or even kill the chicks, so as to claim all food brought by the “parents”!
Enjoy, Best, Frank
Aloha Frank,
I have raised a baby Bulbul that was found on the ground on a very busy street by a friend of mine. He/she is now about 3 mos old and has poor feather growth but flies very well around the house and is otherwise healthy and active.
I am reluctant to soft release him since he has never really been out. It is advisable to try? If not, I would like to get him a companion bird. Do you have any suggestions of what other birds he would be compatible with?
Thank you so much!
Bev
Aloha Bev,
Tough one; they are usually good at foraging on their own, but whether or not the bird will be cautious enough around people etc, is a question…most species adjust. but poor feather growth will impact survival chances. Perhaps wait until a molt; try varying the diet; additional protein – insects, hardboiled egg, egg food, small amounts of cooked chop meat, cottage cheese rolled into softbill food – would be especially helpful.
As for company, they are not social in the manner of, for example, parrots, and hand=reared birds tend to bond to people rather than other birds, at least in captivity. Those I’ve kept in mixed aviaries have stayed with other bulbuls; a pet could in theory get along with a similarly sized finch, but could be tricky…
Enjoy and please keep me posted, Frank
Thank you so much! That is very helpful. I greatly appreciate it.
Bev
My pleasure..let me know how all goes, Best, Frank
Hi Frank!! I emailed you a while back about trying to take my bulbul bird out of Hawaii. I just wanted to give you an update on him, and give information to anyone who might be wanting to take a bulbul off island in the future. I was able to get him to the mainland back in February for a very hefty price. I went through a company called Global Animal Transport. While they were able to get him to me, I have to say I wasn’t super impressed with them. They kept telling me they’d email or call with quotes and information on his transport, but I kept having to contact them to get the info. He also wasn’t flown directly, he had to stop in Utah. There was a layover, and then the flight was delayed, and he ended up getting really sick. He was wobbly and lethargic and just didn’t seem “right.” The vet said it was probably from the jet fumes and gave him some fluids and luckily he got better! Today he is doing very well and I can’t say how happy I am to have him with me!! Thanks again for your help and I hope all is well!! Oh and by the way, he LOVES the canned crickets you suggested on here. And he also loves dried papaya and meal worms
Thanks again!! Kelly
Hi Kelly,
Thanks so much for the update; great info to have on hand, much apprciated. I’ve noticed similar problems with birds, especially smaller species – lethargy, disorientation. In hummingbirds, it’s related to the lack of food; perhaps so with others, as they may not eat in transit and do not have much reserves. Fumes also very quickly affect all birds.
Glad all is well now, and good to hear he is eating the canned insects. You might try silkworms as well, to add some variety. Enjoy, best, Frank
Dear Mr. Frank Indiviglio,
I’ve got a baby bulbul but it’s not so young, maybe 2 to 3 months old now, and it’s red vent is slowly appearing (babies don’t have it, as you know). Please let me know how to train this bird to whistle my tune as so far, I’ve only managed to teach it one whistle, but the problem is that it keeps repeating only this whistle. How can I succeed in training it to whistle another tune? Pls help!!! I know it is difficult now as the bird is not so young, but please advise!
Hello William,
Unfortunately, they can have a “one track mind” as far as this goes! It’s actually a good sign that it is mimicking one whistle. A tape played so that the bird can hear it may help. Canaries and others often respond to the sounds of wild birds, heard through a window, more readily than to human whistles…not east to arrange or control this, but it does add interesting noted to their songs. But there really is not sure way to cause the bird to mimic a certain tune,
Enjoy, please keep me posted, Frank
Dear Frank,
Nice to see your quick response. I’d like you to know that birds (most of the type that I’ve kept in a cage), usually respond better to sounds (whistles) that are heard from another room as the bird feels that there is a species of it’s kind some friend around. This technique works specially when the room is quiet. The repetition of sounds must be abrupt, taking the bird by surprise and keeping the bird interested, that means that the bird should actually hear the whistling clearly, step by step. Too much whistling makes the bird less interested but a few whistles at the right moment, is all it takes for the bird to learn. Now, my bird whistles only one of my own whistles but I hope and I feel that it will learn more provided I keep on repeating my new whistle again and again at the right time to register the sound in the bird’s mind. I think you will agree to my opinion. Do let me know if you have any ideas, from anyone!!! Thanks a lot !!!!
Hello William,
Thanks for your update and opinion. Mimicry is a detailed concept, the “hows” & “whys” vary between species; their natural history determines much of this. For example, talented mimics such as American Mocking Birds copy other sounds for different reasons than do other species. Captivity changes this a great deal, of course, so it’s sometimes difficult to analyze what we are seeing.
In general, adult male birds are competing with one another when singing, so hearing another of the same species is actually a challenge, and may stimulate them to respond. Younger males may try to copy. In some species, males become stressed if they are exposed to the calls of a more dominant individual (most can access dominance, health via the call) or a competing species or predator, especially if they are caged and cannot move away. We have much to learn…great that you are paying attention to details. E joy, best, Frank
Dear Frank,,
I am a bird enthusiast and I have been rearing bulbul chicks and relesing them back into the wild after they are able to fend for themselves back here in India. I have observed in many of the young chicks that after moulting the new wing/tail feathers fall off quiet often i.e. partially undeveloped resulting in stubs. As mentioned by you they may break off when the bird jumps in and around in the cage or if it gets disturbed in sleep and collides with the cage bars. I have taken due notice of this from my experience and I see to it these days that this does not happen, but still the new feathers in one of the chick I have right now are coming out, I have not seen it pluck them, they just fall off on their own. I think it is more common in female birds than in males. Other than the wing feathers rest of the feathers are growing well and the bird is perfectly healthy. I think there is some minor vitamin deficiency as commercial foods are not available in India I feed it on bananas, boiled egg, papaya, rice and some insects if I get them but it’s very difficult to find live prey. Can you suggest me some tips that will help in normal development of the feathers, it will be very helpful.
Hello Ravi,
Thanks for your interest. Many things can be involved in the tail feather loss, but from what you report I believe it is, as you suggest, nutritional. Deficiencies in the diet when the birds are young can cause problems later in life, as with the tail feather loss. That being said, it is unusual that only the tail feathers would be involved (if nutrition is causing the difficulty). Unfortunately, there’s no way say for certain without testing, etc.
Wild Bulbul chicks are reared largely on insects, so protein (and other nutrients provided by insects) is important to proper development. If insects are not readily availble, cooked ground meat should be offered if possible. Increasing eggs may also be useful. Other protein sources that are used include dry, powdered milk (which can be mixed into other foods) and cheese or yogurt. Yogurt of moist cheese can be rolled into dry cornmeal or a similar food, in order to dry it out and render it easier to consume.
Sorry I could not be of more help; please keep me posted and good luck with your fine work. Anything you might learn along the way would be most useful to others, so please write back when possible.
Best regards, Frank
Hi Frank,
Thank you for your advise, I had not thought about the yogurt thing, its a good idea and I will surely include it in my Bulbuls diet. This week from what I observe the feathers are growing very well and look normal, I hope they continue to grow well.
With some of the chicks which I had recently I have trained them to come back home after they have been reseased and it is very interesting. The bulbuls can have their freedom and I can have the joy of petting them too.
Regards,
Ravi.
My pleasure, Ravi. Thank you for the info on returning birds…very interesting to know. I’ve not heard of others doing that with bulbuls…well done! Please keep me posted, I hope your birds do well.
Best regards, Frank
Dear Frank,
Nice information on your website that keeps on updating.
I will also feed my red vented bulbul with yoghurt mixed with other dry foods. Good idea. I also want to inform you that my bird has learned to imitate some more of my whistles. However, the training process must continue, always!!!
Best wishes,
William
Nice to hear from you William, and thanks for the kind words. Great work with the bird, I’m sure you are enjoying. please keep me posted, good luck with all, Frank
Dear Frank,
I’ve got very very sad news. My pet African Grey Parrot (Poly) died on the 2/Oct/2012. It was bitten by a rat and the vet said he would be OK after giving some medicines. Unfortunately, my pet died and I’m left with the kind of grief that I’ve never experienced in my life, ever! I wake up in the night, my heart is in pain, my mind is reeling and I just don’t know how to cure myself. My bird had a relationship like a human being, or ever better than that! My bird lived for 12 years! Now, the whole family is heartbroken. What do you suggest? My wife says she does not want to have another bird. My heart says that someday, I should. What do you say? Kindly reply in detail, as you seem to be the right person to talk to, as you know what it is to love a pet bird and such matters that very few people understand. Looking forward to your elaborated reply. Please !!!
Hello William,
I’m sorry to hear about your loss. Unfortunately, I cannot offer much in the way of useful advice. In my experience, these matters are very personal, and can only be decided according to each person’s unique perspective and personality. It is very typical for some people to desire to replace the pet right away, while others no longer wish to have an animal.
I’ve worked with many thousands of pets and zoo animals over the course of my life, and so have a different perspective from the typical pet-keeper, because deaths come so frequently in my line of work. I think this happens in many fields…my sister, a lifelong nurse, deals with human death far better than I, yet has a great deal of trouble with pet losses.
ParrotForums has a bereavement section, where people post experiences and advice…I’m not personally familiar with it, but but perhaps this will be helpful to you and your wife?
I’m sorry I could not be of more help, I hope all goes as well as is possible, Frank
Dear Frank,
Thanks for your advice. Actually, the vet did not give the necessary injection for my pet. Oral medicine did not work well as the pet. My old mother (in India) could not do much as I was away from her (working in Kuwait). I just hope someday, I’ll get over this feeling but one thing I must say is that my pet was a real wonder. Something to cherish. My mother & son are heartbroken. My mother can never imagine another bird like Poly. The death of my bird makes me feel so sad, I’ve never had this feeling ever! Thanks for your support.
William
Hello William,
Medicating a bird after a bite wound is a very difficult process; alternative vet care may not have changed the outcome, unfortunately. I hope you and yours adjust and find a way to enjoy birds again. I have noticed that people sometimes compare new pets with others, and this is not always ideal…although sometimes there are pleasant surprises. Some people opt for a different type of pet, so that those tendencies are not as strong.
Best regards, Frank
Dear Frank,
I sincerely appreciate your your comments. They are coming at a required time when no one understands the pain that I’m going through. The feeling is so bad, that I never experienced before. My mind says ‘only if the Vet had to give an injection, the life of my bird could be saved’ or it says ‘well, it had to die either way’. Now, 6 days have passed since Poly died, but I wonder how to cope with life without a pet like Poly. I love African Grey Parrots but I feel the time is not right to go for another one as my mind does not permit another bird to come into my life just like that. I’d appreciate your comments, if any, please!
Hi William,
I do not believe that medication would have made a difference. Older zoo bird keepers had a saying: “A bird is either healthy or dead”. While we know more about treatment now, most birds do have very fast metabolisms and their immune systems seem ill suited to dealing with most infections. I’ve spend many years in fieldwork, and can count how many sick birds I’ve encountered easily, very few. As you know, rats still cause many human deaths and illnesses…it is said that, over time, they have killed more people that all wars combined…could be closer to the truth, I believe. We know very little about how to treat infections passed from one species to another, such as a parrot. Birds also succumb very quickly to trauma and blood loss, as in a bite. Not to give you anything more to worry about, but I would be concerned about any loved ones who may have been living in the home where the parrot was bitten, if that is where it happened. rats can pass disease via bites, feces, dropping etc. I would suggest looking into was of limiting the risk to people living there.
Best, Frank
Dear Frank,
Thanks a lot for your kind advice. I’m feeling better than before, but not healed. The pain goes on. I think it will take some time!
Best wishes,
William
Good luck , William,
Best, Frank
Thank You, Dear “Frank”, as your name suggests, thank for your frank advice.
Best regards,
William
My pleasure, William, Best, Frank
Help please! – we’ve got a Red-Vented Bulbul’s nest at our place.The nest has been built right in the middle of our living room inside a fake flower pot which hangs from the ceiling.Our family frequently sits there but the birds didnt seem to mind it an went ahead building the nest anyway while we watched.An they ont fly away even when we go close to them.The mother bird ended up laying 2 eggs there and they hatched 3 days ago (Wednesday 20th February)since which The mother and father bird have been very watchful over the new offspring and they kept taking turns feeding the baby/warming the chicks up every 3-5 mints till night time when one bird comes over to warm the chicks throughout the night.This process continued till today.And now i noticed the parent birds have stopped coming to the nest since late after-noon today and now its night (9.40 P.M).. the baby chicks were squealing and opening their beaks up when i went to make sure they were alright.I’m worried that the parents abandoned them.And they are only 4 days old!! .How long should i wait to make sure the parents have really abandoned them? so that i could start feeding them and warming them up with a cloth or something? I’m really worried,. if the parents don’t arrive tomorrow should i feed them myself? if so what should i feed them? an how do i warm them up? I fed them a few baby spiders crushed just now since they were squealing in hunger and now they are asleep.I hope they wouldn’t get cold in the night without their parent warming them up
Please help me! a quick reply is appreciated if possible (im so worried).. thanks so much in advance!
Hi Sofie,
It’s not easy to raise baby bulbuls, as they need a great many insects each day. Hard boiled egg, cooked chop meal and dry dog food that has been softened with some water are sometimes accepted as substitutes, but leaving the nest undisturbed would be best, as the parents may return in the morning. It’s a gamble, but covering the nest would discourage the parents. Warmth can be supplied by a small light bulb or a heating pad, but this would require moving the nest and once that is done the parents willl not return. Given the difficulty in hand raising them, your best option would be to leave the nest until at least morning.
Best, Frank
Thanking you for the quick response Frank! May god bless you!
Frank gave you some good advice. However, if the babies is fine, that great to hear. If you need some advice regarding food, you can feed the babies with semi-solid easy to digest paste made out of gram (indian chick peas), as many of my friends including me, have raised these birds this way. Also, include banana as it is soft and easy to digest. I”m sure you will not have a problem but providing warmth is an important factor when birds are small. Good luck! These birds are amazing imitators of short whistles. I have one that has learned to whistle the samsung mobile sweet whistle!
Hi William,
Very good to have that info, thanks very much I haven’t tried a plant based diet for them or simialr species…good to know. best regards, frank
Hi Frank, me always busy but always find time for pets! Your job is always appreciated. Have a nice day!
sir,
Hi! this is sudhindra from India, I have come across a situation where in my daughters have brought home a abondoned nest of BULBUL with two chicks of probably 2-3 days old(i asume as they have not opened their eyes yet)
I am a bird lover and want to rear them and set them free once they grow up.
Please suggest me in detail on how to take care of these young ones, and their diet and duration of their growth to set them free.
I have kept them in the same nest and put it in a couragted box.
Please mail me soon as don’t want to make any lapse on my part in saving these little ones.
regards
sudhindra
+919845252295
Hello,
Nice of your daughters and yourself to take such an interest. Bulbul chicks are not easy to raise when so young. They will need to be kept warm and fed every-3 hours during the day (depending on the amount of food they take). One reader has has success with a paste made of Indian chick peas and banana, moistened with some warm water (this will meet their drinking needs); hard-boiled egg, cooked chopped meat and any available small insects can also be offered. Often they are in a very weakened condition when found, and do not recover, so please prepare your daughters … Please keep me posted, Best regards, Frank
hi,I rescued a baby bulbul 6 months ago.Now it has become so attached to me that it refuses to leave even if I keep the balcony and windows open.She plays with the pigeons and other birds in the balcony ,then comes inside and sits on my lap.A pair of bulbuls come to my balcony but are very aggressive with her and always try to hit her.I’m really worried about my baby.She has no partner and I’m wondering what to doabout her lonliness.I want my baby to have a normal life.Get a companion for life and fly high in the sky.Please advise what to do.
Sunendra, your chicks are very young.You will have to open their beak and insert food.I used to give my baby boiled rice/banana when she was this young.In a month,they will learn to eat on their own.That time,you can also give Cerelac mixed with water..i used to give it to my baby bulbul every hour (when she was 15 days old).. give apple small pieces, banana,grapes,mango..they love fruits.My baby bulbul loves to eat EVERYHTING that I eat.She’s 6 months old now and eats roti sabji with me. do not try to give them direct milk.Do give them water with a dropper..2-3 drops every hour…this is what I did.One problem is ,my bulbul never ate egg..so shes low on protein.To compensate for her feather growth, I give her a vitamin tonic.That keeps her feathers good enough.
Hello,
Unfortunately, once a bird has imprinted on people it may be difficult to release it; although much is instinctive, there are learned behaviors that, if missing, may cause attacks; imprinted birds rarely mate successfully, even if they do survive in the wild. I have seeen this in a number of avian species, and in a variety of mammals as well. The bird might fare better in captivity. best regards, Frank
Hi Frank,
Nice information, will do good to to pet lovers / rescue people. I’m really proud of my red-vented bulbul as the bird is so attached to me, and flaps its wings sticking its tongue out! This is typical of red-vented bulbuls if given due attention, care & food . I read that keeping pets is not a good idea as birds belong to the wilderness / they should have their own freedom. However, I’m surprised how much my bird loves me! There is something people don’t understand what I understand. Only pet lovers know this !!! Keep up the good work Frank, your advice is precious!!!
hi Frank,
:( I’m really disturbed… 
Thank you so much for the reply… a very disturbing incident happened today. My baby bulbul got up at 6:30 am and I took her outside in the balcony for fresh air and also to play around.Suddenly a hawk came from nowhere and attacked her.Thanks to THAT pair of bulbuls who always fight with her;it was because of their alarming calls that my bulbul flew inside.I’ve kept all the windows and balcony closed now.But when that other pair of bulbuls came in the evening to my balcony, within 2 seconds this hawk came again and attacked THEM this time !!!! Luckily they escaped ! I’m terrified for all 3 babies now…. I threw away all the food kept in the balcony for them;as it is the food for which they come.I think the hawk is going to keep hovering over my place for a few more days and I’m scared now…I don’t want any of these wonderful birds to become its food.Can you please suggest how can I keep this HAWK away from these little ones ?? Please. don’t ask me to comply with the ruthless rules of nature… It better go eat fruits; not these babies.Please help me
Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated. Hand-raised birds of non threatened species, that are kept by responsible owners, generally do fine in captivity; assuming local laws are obeyed, there is no harm in this…it’s how all good conservationists/zoo people of my generation started out, and we continue with the practice, best, Frank
Well, you’ll have no luck in getting the hawk to eat fruits! But seriously, I understand your concern. hawks and other predators quickly learn to stake out feeding stations as places for an easy meal. It’s just an extension of hat they do in the wild….patrolling areas where their prey will congregate to feed or breed. Birds habituated to people, or hand raised, are far easier targets than those living in undisturbed areas, so the hawks’ hunting success will be higher, hence they stay and learn to frequent similar areas. There’s no effective way to dissuade the hawk from hunting there; if you cease feeding the birds, or startle them when they appear, they will eventually move off; sorry, but this is the best option, Frank
hi Frank,
Thank you so much. And William, great to know your baby flaps its wings sticking its tongue out ! haha.. it is a cute and a lovely behavior that my baby also display when happy 
All the best !
Thank you so much… yes,i have stopped feeding the birds and also scare them away when they come.Saw a lot of hawks and tried to shoo them away… i noticed that once the Sun in full, they do not appear.Will keep a close watch for a few days.For now, my baby and those two wild babies are good.
Warm Regards.
Thanks for the kind words and feedback…I hope all works out. best regards, Frank
Hi Frank,
She has never done this in entire 6 months ! This is quite a scary behavior as she attacked my eyes,nose ..her scratches on me bled a little.. is she lonely/depressed/needs a companion ? or she doesn’t like being ignored ? Please advise..I’m worried for my baby.
I wanted to know what invokes aggression in bulbuls. Today I was talking to my mom on phone and my bulbul was sitting on my hand with which i held my phone..she was constantly making a sweet squeak..i kept talking to my mom and ignored her.. suddenly she attacked my eyes and hands..and then she kept biting my hands for an hour !
Hi,
Unfortunately it’s difficult to draw conclusions about the behavior of captive raised birds, as it does not often resemble what would occur in the wild. Hormonal changes as the bird matures can cause frustrated mating or territorial behavior, and aggression, but as the bird lacks normal outlets it sometimes behaves in ways that are hard to understand – attacks, stereotypical behavior in cage, feather plucking etc. We see this more commonly in parrots and other highly social species, but I’ve known it also to occur in species ranging from birds of prey to birds of paradise, Unfortunately, such birds do not often accept mates….pairing can be tried, but one must often keep the bird alone and just try to work around the behaviors..feeding a favorite treat, esp live insects, may divert the bird if it is injuring itself in a cage. of course, the bird should not be allowed to injure anyone, as infections from even tiny cuts can be quite serious.
Best regards, Frank
Hi Frank,
What makes her mad is inattention and refusing her to touch something that she wants to bite, is what I have noticed… will take care to be more loving to her… and take care of my eyes too 
Thanks a lot Frank… your reply relieves me of all my worries.God bless you for your great work.
Thank you for your reply… yes her behaviour is unpredictable.. today when she made that sweet squeak, I kissed her and gave her attention..then she started flapping her wings and danced
Warm Regards.
My pleasure…glad the info was useful. Thanks for the kind words. It’s very good of you to be looking into the bird’s care so carefully. Bulbuls are not commonly kept here in the USA , in zoos or privately, so it’s also niuce for other readers to see your posts.
Female birds of many species exhibit “begging behavior” to their mates, at which time the male feeds them..part of the courtship process. this may be what you are seeing. You might enjoy this article on an owl that insisted on “feeding” me!
Best regards, Frank
haha… that was so cutee !!! “trying to stuff a mouse into someone’s mouth” ..ROFL… you have an exciting life with these sweet creatures around you
God bless…
Thanks..glad you enjoyed! best regards, Frank
Hey Frank, I am very depressed.. my baby Bulbul ‘BuBu’ flew away.It was unfortunate because the parting was painful,for both me and her.I had taken her to the garden for a morning play,had put her on a tree branch to enjoy for some time. She was relaxing there when one of my uncle came.I smiled told him I have brought her to play but she is sitting on the top most branch now.How do I get her down.I think he got overconfident and before asking me he said I’ll bring her down and gave a heavy jerk to the tree.My Bubu got so scared that she flew high… so high that she went and sat on the 5th floor of a building.Another pair of bulbul came to attack her and she started crying… then she flew and flew.. and I kept running after her… she went from one building to another… I was tracing her through her cry.Then at one point… I could’nt hear her voice… and I lost her….. I sat there for a long time… I think once in a while I was hearing her voice.. she was crying and calling out.. but I couldnt track her… Losing hope,I came back.And the entire day me and mom just spent crying… I miss her so badly… she was my best buddy… I feel I have no purpose left in life…there’s such a void in my life now… I’m very worried about her… I’m not sure if she will be able to manage or not.. Today is the second day she is missing and I have not yet traced her…. :’-(
Hi,
Sorry to hear, I’m sure it is a difficult situation. Maybe it will help to know that birds always adjust in time; they may have difficulties at first, but most of what they need to do is internally regulated, and after a short time in the wild they manage just fine. I have seen this in programs where we have tracked released birds via satellite…even those that must hone complicated behaviors, such hunting rodents, adapt it time.
Best regards, Frank