How to Draw a Black-Eyed Bulbul

In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Black Eyed Bulbul in 7 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.

The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.

Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.

At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Black Eyed Bulbul.

Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.

How to Draw a Black Eyed Bulbul - Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: The black-eyed bulbul is a type of songbird that lives in Africa. The word ‘bulbul’ is Arabic for ‘nightingale’, which are said to have beautiful voices. Despite being a different species, the black-eyed bulbul’s song is just as beautiful. To draw the head, start with an upside down ‘U’ shape and add a beak to it. Make the top of the head jagged for the bulbul’s crest of feathers.

Step 2: Add a circle for the eye, and a jagged line to define the beak.

Step 3: Draw a long curved line for the bird’s chest and belly, and a short curved line for his back.

Step 4: Draw a long ‘V’ shape for his wing, and lots of slanted lines to create the feathers.

Step 5: Then draw a ‘C’ shape for the end of his body, and draw a leg.

Step 6: Add another leg behind the first. A black-eyed bulbul uses his feet to help him forage for his favorite food – fruit and bugs!

Step 7: Lastly, draw a tail and add long lines to show the tail feathers. You’re now done! To color in your bird, make the face and head black, the body gray, and his wings a brownish color. The area by his tail feathers is a bright yellow color.

Interesting Facts about Black-Eyed Bulbuls

The black-eyed bulbul is a songbird that is native to Africa. It is also called the black-capped bulbul, common bulbul, or common garden bulbul. Their habitats include forest edges, places with lots of plants that are near bodies of water, woodlands, and plantations.

Did you know?

  • They forage (search) for food in trees and bushes. Their diet includes small vertebrates, insects, and most of all, fruit.
  • On average, they grow to be about eight inches long.
  • Males weigh about 1.5 pounds. Females weigh a little less.
  • The name “bulbul” is Arabic for “nightingale.” However, bulbuls and nightingales are two different bird species.
  • Males defend their territory by chasing their intruder. If the intruder is another bird, they sometime fight by pecking at each other and using their claws to make each other fall.

Females lay two to three eggs. Nesting season is from July to April. The mother keeps her eggs warm in a nest while the father brings her food. The eggs hatch after about 12 to 15 days. Unlike other birds, the chicks leave the nest before they can fly, usually after 11 to 16 days. They stay together in the same tree as their nest until they are ready to forage for food with their parents.

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