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JureliNewsNepalOct 19, 2026By Jureli Editorial2 min read

Unique Animals of Nepal, Ep. 01: Jureli, the Red-vented Bulbul

Meet the jureli, the red-vented bulbul: Nepal's backyard songbird, with a black crest, a red vent and a place in Nepali poetry and song.

Unique Animals of Nepal, Ep. 01: Jureli, the Red-vented Bulbul — JureliHub

Jureli (जुरेली) is the Nepali name for the red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer). In the first episode of Unique Animals of Nepal, we meet Nepal's backyard songbird.

Red-vented bulbul (jureli) in Boudhha, Kathmandu Red-vented bulbul, Boudhha, Nepal. Photo: Sagnik Dutta Roy / iNaturalist, CC BY

Why it's just "jureli"

Nepal has 9 bulbul species. Only this one is plain jureli. The others get a prefix, like Bakhre jureli (black bulbul) and Julphe jureli (Himalayan bulbul).

Black crest, red vent

Look for a short black crest, a white rump and a red vent under the tail. It's about 20 cm long.

From cities to fields

The jureli is an abundant year-round resident of Nepal and a common sight around Kathmandu, from towns and gardens to scrub and farmland. Its call is often transcribed as "ginger beer".

Two red-vented bulbuls perched in Dhobighat, Lalitpur Red-vented bulbul, Dhobighat, Nepal. Photo: Andy Wilson / iNaturalist, CC0

A poem and a hit song

Laxmi Prasad Devkota wrote the poem Jureliko Gaan (The Jureli's Song). The dohori song Lalumai (Kaha gayau jureli chari, "Where did you go, jureli bird?") has passed 30 million views.

Red-vented bulbul on a branch in Kathmandu Red-vented bulbul, Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo: Sagnik Dutta Roy / iNaturalist, CC BY

Which animal next?

Tell us which of Nepal's animals we should feature in Episode 2. Comment on Instagram at @jurelimedia.

Red-vented bulbul among leaves in Shikha, Nepal Red-vented bulbul, Shikha, Nepal. Photo: Sagnik Dutta Roy / iNaturalist, CC BY

Sources

Photo credits

All photos are real photographs of red-vented bulbuls taken in Nepal, from research-grade iNaturalist observations. They are cropped and resized only.