Diet: Bulbul (Red Vented Bulbul, Red Whiskered Bulbul)

• Basic Diet:

  • Formula is not suggested as they are not seed eaters.

  • Protein Options:

    • Egg Food Bird Supplement (Vitakraft or Quicko)

    • Mazuri Insectivore Diet

    • Live crushed mealworms, crickets, beetles or grasshoppers

      • Avoid earthworms, as they can carry parasites like hairworms

    • Dried crushed mealworms, superworms, crickets or grasshoppers

    • Mashed hard boiled or scrambled egg (chicken or duck)

    • Turkey or chicken baby food

  • Fruit Options (you can purchase the fruit in the form of organic baby food - no added sugar)

    • Banana

    • Mango

    • Strawberry

    • Papaya

    • Apple

    • Blueberry

    • Avoid citrus fruits which can disrupt their digestive systems. Other foods to stay away from: Avocado and Chocolate.

  • Supplemental Options:

    • Boiled or scrambled chicken, duck or quail eggs (no oil)

    • Small amounts of tofu can be added

  • Dehydration supplement:

    • Unflavored Pedialyte

• How to feed:

  • Mix puree / mashed fruit or human baby food, and optional ingredients.

    • 40% fruit, 60% protein options. Add water/Pedialyte to the consistency of thick but watery paste.

  • When the Bulbul gapes for you, you can feed small bites of non-citrus fruit off the end of a coffee stirrer, soft side of the toothpick, or skewer for as many times as it opens its mouth.

• How often to feed:

  • All birds need to be fed from sunrise to sunset.

  • Young Bulbul hatchlings and nestlings: fed every 20 minutes, giving them as much as they will gape for. The younger the bulbul, the more frequently it needs to be fed.

    • Naked (non-feathered) bulbuls should be fed every 20 minutes

    • Pin feather bulbuls can be fed every 20-40 minutes

  • Young bulbul fledglings: fed every 45m - 1.5 hours.

  • Older bulbul fledglings fed every 1-1.5 hours

  • Adults: every 1 - 2 hours

• How to Ween:

  • Nestlings will start to explore and naturally peck around the cage at different things.

    1. 1. Scatter mealworms or other dried or live protein sources around the cage

    2. 2. Put soft (papaya or mango) fruit inside the cage, change the fruit every 6 -8 hours.

       1. Fruit Options

          • Banana

          • Papaya

          • Strawberries

          • Blueberries

          • Apples

          • Mango

    3. 3. Start to put grass and other leafy dark greens around the cage

  • Continue hand feeding every 2 hours throughout the weaning process

  • Gradually decrease the amount of formula given daily as they start to peck at the other food items around the cage.

  • It is important not to rush the weaning process. Some birds take longer than others to wean.

• Helpful tips:

  • As your bird weans, you can begin introducing proteins such as egg, crushed/dried, and fresh mealworms, crickets and grasshoppers.

  • Sprinkle crushed dried super worms, crickets or mealworms onto fresh fruit. This offers protein that is necessary for feather growth and development. You can also sprinkle Mazuri Insectivore Diet over the fruit.

  • Bulbuls require 50% of their diet to be protein. Every day they should be offered live fresh bugs such as crickets, beetles, mealworms, or grasshoppers to ensure their proper development.

• In a Pinch:

  • As an alternative, if you do not have access to the fruit pelleted food, you can add infant rice cereal with mashed skinned fruit. Do not forget to add vitamin and calcium drops to mix.