This bird is a native from Pakistan to China, mainly residing in India. This species has an extremely large range that stretches around the world. It is believed that the word bulbul may have come from a Turkish or Persian word for nightingale. These birds sing for hours after feeding, often starting before dawn.

Bulbuls are considered agricultural pests because they damage fruit crops. In Hawaii, they feed on cultivated orchids. Ziram and methiocard have been spread as repellents, but the bulbuls have learned how to avoid them.

The red-vented bulbul was among the first animals other than humans that was found to be incapable of synthesizing Vitamin C. It was later found that a large number of birds lack this capability.