I took several snapshots of the Israeli Bulbul, but none of them came out as good as this stock one from the Web. My pal Snoopy says it’s native to Israel. Even Haaretz (sometimes sneeringly called the only Hebrew-language Arabic newspaper in the Middle East) agrees.
“There is no doubt that the bulbul is ours: loud, quick to anger, lavishing gregarious affection, and in love with his friends. He makes noise as he brags to his pals about his exploits, and calls himself affectionate names. He doesn’t stop singing even as he is joyfully robbing fruit from others in true bulbul style.”
Alas, the bulbul lost the competition for national bird. Snoopy says it was because some politician pointed out that the bulbul is always fighting with its neighbors. So the hoopoe, found throughout the ME, won. Might also have been because of the alternate slang meaning of bulbul. But that’s just my notion.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 