Bulbul the only one that can really sing

MARK D Anderson, the live-wire director of BirdLife South Africa, has this month launched a nationwide poll to seek South Africa’s favourite bird.

We have a national bird: the blue crane. But, just like we have a national president and the occasional national disaster (but I repeat myself), that does not necessarily signify popularity.

Mark has invited some associates to kick off the campaign by picking their favourite bird. Not only that, they must then promote that bird.

I did not hesitate for a moment – I had a very worthy candidate. The bulbul! I speak of the dark-capped bulbul. It’s also called the black-eyed bulbul and the “toppie”. It’s that brown bird with a black crest and a yellow bum.

It’s the most cheerful creature in South Africa, and the only member of the dawn chorus that can actually sing.

Many readers will have noticed what happens every morning outside a zillion suburban homes.

First, at the ungodly time of 3.30am, the thrush starts to sing. Correction. The thrush, like so many South African birds, cannot sing. It simply goes “Chee! Chee! Chee!” That’s not singing.

This goes on and on until it wakes up the sparrows. (The thrush’s genus is not named Turdus for nothing.)

The sparrows immediately start quarrelling, noisily, and there’s always one that sits and, I am sure, closes its eyes and mindlessly goes, “chip chip chip chip chip chip chip”.

This rouses the world’s noisiest and most irritating bird – the hadeda.

Usually three or four of them at a time. They appear startled out of their wits and begin shouting (seriously, hadedas shout): “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarhg! Ha hahahaaaaa dedar (etc).”

This wakes the Cape robin-chat which always starts off with a single dreary note: “er”. Then it goes, “piddlytiddly-widdly”. Only the robin’s mother would call that “singing”.

Then the crested barbet: trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

As the dawn chorus fades the bulbul takes its cue and starts singing, singing ever cheerfully: “Wake up Timothy!” “Wake up Felicity!” – depending, of course, who’s around.

Singing? Yes, singing. The bulbul belongs to the same family as the European nightingale about which whole odes have been written. Sometimes the bulbul sings: “Wipe your feeeet, Gregory!” It sometimes repeats: “Feeeet! Feeeet!” if, I suppose, it has noticed Gregory is having difficulty finding his feet.

At Halloween, so help me, one was repeatedly calling: “Trick or treat!” Bulbuls have a marvellous sense of humour.

If you are a birder and have experienced being out all day with nothing much to show for it, you’ll have noticed there’s always two or three black-eyed bulbuls sitting in a nearby tree trilling their merry song as if to reassure you that there are indeed birds about: “Cheer up Felicity!” they’ll call, depending, of course, whom (or even who) they are addressing.

I was on holiday on the Natal South Coast busy trying to wake up. Then I became aware of a dark-capped bulbul distinctly trillimng: “Let’s go, Gregory!”

Although it was not my name I forgave it for there was, indeed, a nephew, Gregory, staying in the house.

I begged my family, in the name of science, to listen to what it was saying because back in Sandton where I normally do my waking up, the bulbul distinctly pronounces that particular name “Gwegory”. A regional accent?

Sasol Birds of Southern Africa says it goes “cheloop chreep choop” which is nonsense. A past edition of Roberts Birds of Southern Africa said it goes: “klip klop, kollop!” Presumably a lame horse walked past just as the authors were cupping their ears.

So, support the bulbul, our only English-speaking bird! Go to www.birdlife.org.za and vote.