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Lucky Bul. Blackheaded Bulbul, Pycnonotus atriceps, Black-headed Bulbul, Taman Burung, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Bird Park of Kuala Lumpur, the Taman Burung, is billed as the world's largest walk-in and free-flight aviary! Of course, 'walk-in' applies to its human visitors, but it would be nice, too, to have wings to visit properly this enormous and exhilarating park!

The live-in free-flight Birds are taken care of very well. Here's an example. The aviarists have split a Papaya, thus saving a lot of birds a lot of work. This is lucky, pretty Black-headed Bulbul, Pycnonotus atriceps, just about to enjoy a beakful! And just look at one of its distinguishing features, that marvellous blue eye! I wonder if the zoologist who in 1822 first described this nightingale of the East - Coenraad Jacob Temminck (1778-1858) - himself had blue eyes too!

PS The name 'Bulbul' apparently came into the English language late in the eighteenth century, possibly through translations of Persian poetry.

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Uploaded on March 2, 2016
Taken on March 2, 2016