Luklak (Yellow-Vented Bulbul) Keeping Its Balance Near Mt. Makiling

Perfect balance.

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Pycnonotus goiavier

The yellow-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier) is one of the most common birds in the city. I was surprised to see them out in the wild, such as this one performing a delicate balancing act on a vine and twig near Mt. Makiling, an inactive volcano and a nature preserve.

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I wonder if my reaction of surprise was warranted. Did I really expect them to be city-dwellers like me that ventured to the countryside? Or were they originally wild birds that learned to adapt to cities that people built over the land?

I may have made fun of them in a recent post, but the creature was simply using what’s available to build a nest in the city. They have to find balance in a changing ecosystem.

Here I was, a stranger in the bird’s eyes. The nature preserve was, after all, created for them. Like them, maybe we can learn to keep the perfect balance.

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The bird’s name is derived from its yellow vent and “bulbul” comes from the Persian word for nightingale.

I find its calls pleasant enough, and I don’t mind waking up to their noisy chatter in the morning. It is called “Luklak” locally.