Red-Whiskered Bulbuls in the Pet Trade
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| Cages hang in rows at a bird café in Danang where owners gather to compare birds over coffee and cigarettes. Photo credit: MS |
By Maurizio Saroli
Once a familiar sight across central Vietnam’s lowlands, the Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus is now more often seen in cages than in the wild. Its fluting song more often heard in alleyways, verandas and bird cafés. After 90 checklists in 2025, I finally saw my first Red-whiskered Bulbul of the year, in Danang. That brief sighting made me reflect on why these birds are disappearing—and prompted me to write this post about the role the pet trade has played in their decline.
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| Photo credit: Vikram S |
IUCN Status: Least Concern globally, but declining in parts of Southeast Asia due to trapping.
Habitat: Forest edges, gardens, lowland scrub.
Threats: Pet trade, habitat loss, lack of regulation.
Local Trends: Marked decline in sightings across Danang and Quang Nam.
Habitat: Forest edges, gardens, lowland scrub.
Threats: Pet trade, habitat loss, lack of regulation.
Local Trends: Marked decline in sightings across Danang and Quang Nam.
Conservation Actions Needed:
- Public education on wild bird protection
- Regulation of trapping and trade
- Support for alternative livelihoods for trappers
- Promotion of ethical birdwatching and ecotourism
The bulbul’s crisp black crest, white cheek patches and namesake red whiskers give it a theatrical charm. It’s prized not only for its appearance but for its voice—clear, melodic and expressive. Singing competitions are held in parks and cafés, where birds are judged on volume, clarity and rhythm. In cages, it is often perched high, surveying its surroundings with a mix of curiosity and resignation. For many, it is a bird of nostalgia—evoking childhood, family and traditional rural life. In markets and streets across Danang and Quang Nam, bulbuls are sold openly. Some are kept in ornate cages, hung from verandas or trees, where they are fed fruit and insects and encouraged to sing. Others are traded in bulk—young birds, often recently trapped, housed in cramped enclosures with little food or shelter. The trade is informal, widespread and largely unregulated.
In urban and peri-urban areas, bird cafés have become informal hubs for the bulbul trade. These open-air spaces, tucked behind shops or set up in alleyways—serve as meeting points for owners, sellers and enthusiasts. Cages are hung in rows, birds are displayed and compared, and transactions take place noisily over coffee and cigarettes. Some cafés host regular singing contests, where birds are judged and traded based on performance. Others function more casually, as places to socialise and observe. While not officially regulated, these venues help sustain demand and reinforce the bird’s status as a cultural commodity. The café setting normalises captivity, turning the cage into a fixture of leisure and exchange.
Trapping methods vary. Some use mist nets strung across forest margins; others rely on bait cages, where a captive bird is used to lure others. Juveniles are especially targeted, easier to tame and more likely to adapt to confinement. The impact on wild populations is difficult to quantify, but observers report a marked decline in sightings across lowland habitats. Areas that once rang with bulbul calls are now quiet. Personally I have only seen this species in three locations and on only three occasions in Danang. In comparison species like Sooty-headed and Streak-eared bulbuls, which have similar habitat preferences, are ubiquitous across the city and surrounding province in scrubland, lowland forest edges and even gardens.
Efforts to curb the trade exist, but enforcement is patchy. Conservation groups have called for greater awareness, better regulation and alternative livelihoods for trappers. Education campaigns aim to shift public perception—from pride in ownership to pride in protection. But change is slow, and the bulbul continues to vanish from the wild.
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| A pet owner interacts with his caged bird in the alley outside his home in Danang. Photo credit: MS |
In urban and peri-urban areas, bird cafés have become informal hubs for the bulbul trade. These open-air spaces, tucked behind shops or set up in alleyways—serve as meeting points for owners, sellers and enthusiasts. Cages are hung in rows, birds are displayed and compared, and transactions take place noisily over coffee and cigarettes. Some cafés host regular singing contests, where birds are judged and traded based on performance. Others function more casually, as places to socialise and observe. While not officially regulated, these venues help sustain demand and reinforce the bird’s status as a cultural commodity. The café setting normalises captivity, turning the cage into a fixture of leisure and exchange.
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| A bird trader and prospective buyer stand beside a motorbike stacked with cages. Photo credit: MS |
Trapping methods vary. Some use mist nets strung across forest margins; others rely on bait cages, where a captive bird is used to lure others. Juveniles are especially targeted, easier to tame and more likely to adapt to confinement. The impact on wild populations is difficult to quantify, but observers report a marked decline in sightings across lowland habitats. Areas that once rang with bulbul calls are now quiet. Personally I have only seen this species in three locations and on only three occasions in Danang. In comparison species like Sooty-headed and Streak-eared bulbuls, which have similar habitat preferences, are ubiquitous across the city and surrounding province in scrubland, lowland forest edges and even gardens.
Efforts to curb the trade exist, but enforcement is patchy. Conservation groups have called for greater awareness, better regulation and alternative livelihoods for trappers. Education campaigns aim to shift public perception—from pride in ownership to pride in protection. But change is slow, and the bulbul continues to vanish from the wild.
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| Another pet owner with his caged bulbul in Danang. Photo credit: MS |
What You Can Do
- Report sightings of wild bulbuls to Danang Bird Club to help track population changes.
- Avoid purchasing wild-caught birds—ask sellers about sourcing and support captive-bred alternatives.
- Share this story to raise awareness about the impact of the pet trade.
- Support local conservation groups working to protect Vietnam’s birdlife.
- Join field trips or citizen science projects with Danang Bird Club to experience birds in the wild, not in cages.
Maurizio is the contributing editor of DBC News, part of Danang Bird Club, a non-profit organisation focused on citizen science, education and advocacy for the conservation of Vietnamese avifauna. He is the author of Birdwatching in Central Vietnam; a guide to the region’s rich avian diversity. Originally from London, Maurizio was a member of the British Trust for Ornithology and took part in national bird surveys like the Nest Record Scheme and the Breeding Bird Survey before bringing his passion for ornithology to Vietnam.
www.amazon.com/dp/B0FMQ33FXD
www.avisbirdingadventures.com
When Maurizio is not birding in the wetlands and forests of Danang, he can be found walking the alleyways of the urban jungle doing his other hobby, street photography. His photographs have been published on several online platforms and can be viewed on his photography website www.mauriziosaroli.com
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