Hong Kong is home to several bird species from the bulbul (pycnonotidae) family.

The Chinese Bulbul (pycnonotus sinensis) is also known as the Light-vented Bulbul. It’s found in China, Vietnam, Japan and Taiwan, and is a common resident songbird in Hong Kong.

Its call is quite loud and not as melodic as that of its more visually striking cousin, the red-whiskered bulbul (pycnonotus jocosus). However the Chinese bulbul is petite and attractive in its own way, with a plump chest, a pretty olive-green back and a pure white throat. In Chinese, this bird is known colloquially as the “white-haired elderly gentleman” (白頭翁) because of its pure white plumage from the eye to the back of its head.