BARE-FACED BULBUL

This striking bulbul is unique in appearance with no feathers on the face and side of its head, blue skin around and between its eyes and orange-pink skin on the rear of its head and cheeks, as well as hair-like feathers on the crown of its head. First described only in 2009, this bird was originally classified as a member of the genus Pycnonotus – i.e., the bulbuls – but has since been reclassified as the only member of a new genus, Nok. Nok means “bird” in the Lao language, while hualon means “bald-headed”.

This species is currently not considered threatened in the IUCN Red List. However, this assessment is based on limited information and its extent of occurrence may be an overestimate.

consumption and may be trapped alive for trade as a captive “pet”. This is a common practice for native songbird species in Laos, with the red-whiskered bulbul and the black-crested