''Ixos'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

birds in the

bulbul The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical As ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Pycnonotidae The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asi ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus ''Ixos'' was introduced in 1825 by the Dutch zoologist

Coenraad Jacob Temminck Coenraad Jacob Temminck (; 31 March 1778 – 30 January 1858) was a Dutch people, Dutch Aristocracy (class), aristocrat, Zoology, zoologist and museum director. Biography Coenraad Jacob Temminck was born on 31 March 1778 in Amsterdam in the Dut ...

to accommodate the

Javan bulbul The Javan bulbul (''Ixos virescens'') is a songbird species in the bulbul family (biology), family. It is the type species of the genus ''Ixos''.Gregory (2000) It is Endemism, endemic to the island of Java in Indonesia in its natural habitat of s ...

. The genus name is the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

for "mistletoe". Some authorities have advocated a complete merger of the genus ''Ixos'' with ''Hypsipetes'' – and even the entire "''Hypsipetes'' group" of bulbuls, which also includes ''

Hemixos ''Hemixos'' is a songbird genus in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. Taxonomy and systematics Established by Edward Blyth in 1845 for the newly discovered ashy bulbul (''H. flavala''),Gregory (2000) this genus contains four extant species. ...

'', ''

Iole In Greek mythology, Iole (; grc, Ἰόλη ) was the daughter of King Eurytus of Oechalia. According to the brief epitome in the '' Bibliotheca'', Eurytus had a beautiful young daughter named Iole who was eligible for marriage. Iole was claimed ...

'' and '' Tricholestes''. Being the oldest

genus name Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

, ''Ixos'' would apply to all of them, rather than ''Hypsipetes'' as is often believed.Gregory (2000), Pasquet ''et al.'' (2001), Moyle & Marks (2006) This re-classification seems hardly appropriate however, since ''

Alophoixus ''Alophoixus'' is a genus of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae found in south-eastern Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Extant species Up to 2009, all the extant species of the genus ''Alophoixus'' were classified within the genus ''C ...

'' and '' Setornis'' cannot be excluded from the "''Hypsipetes'' group", and an all-out merge would turn the resultant "genus" ''Ixos'' into an ill-defined "

wastebin taxon Wastebasket taxon (also called a wastebin taxon, dustbin taxon or catch-all taxon) is a term used by some taxonomists to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined ...

". The erroneous inclusion of ''I. virescens'' in ''Hypsipetes'' has caused the

Nicobar bulbul The Nicobar bulbul (''Ixos nicobariensis'') is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Nicobar Islands. Taxonomy and systematics The Nicobar bulbul was originally described in the genus ''Hypsipetes'' and many ...

to be listed under its invalid

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

''H. nicobariensis'' rather than the valid names ''H. virescens'' or ''I. nicobariensis''.

Extant species

There are five extant species in the genus ''Ixos'': *

(''Ixos nicobariensis'') *

Mountain bulbul The mountain bulbul (''Ixos mcclellandii'') is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is often placed in ''Hypsipetes'', but seems to be closer to the type species of the genus ''Ixos'', the Sunda bulbul.Gregory, Steven M. (20 ...

(''Ixos mcclellandii'') *

Streaked bulbul The streaked bulbul (''Ixos malaccensis''), or green-backed bulbul, is a songbird species in the bulbul family (Pycnonotidae). It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland f ...

(''Ixos malaccensis'') *

(''Ixos virescens'') (the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

) *

Sumatran bulbul The Sumatran bulbul (''Ixos sumatranus'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indone ...

(''Ixos sumatranus'') (split from ''I. virescens'')

Former species

Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus ''Ixos'': *

Cream-striped bulbul The cream-striped bulbul (''Hemixos leucogrammicus'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to western Sumatra (Indonesia). The cream-striped bulbul was originally described in the genus ''Ixos'' and later mo ...

(as ''Ixos leucogrammicus'') *

Spot-necked bulbul The spot-necked bulbul (''Alcurus tympanistrigus'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in Sumatra. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist mo ...

(as ''Ixos tympanistrigus'') *

Grey-headed bulbul The grey-headed bulbul (''Brachypodius priocephalus'') is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats in south-western India, and found from Goa south to Tamil Nadu at altitudes up to 1200m. It is found in d ...

(as ''Ixos Fisquetti'') * Scaly-breasted bulbul (as ''Ixos squamatus'') * Red-whiskered bulbul (pyrrhotis) (as ''Ixos pyrrhotis'') * Red-whiskered bulbul (emeria) (as ''Ixos emeria'') *

Chinese red-whiskered bulbul The red-whiskered bulbul (''Pycnonotus jocosus''), or crested bulbul, is a passerine bird native to Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. It has been introduced in many tropical are ...

(as ''Ixos monticola'') * Brown-breasted bulbul (andersoni) (as ''Ixus Andersoni'') * Light-vented bulbul (hainanus) (as ''Ixus hainanus'') *

White-eared bulbul The white-eared bulbul (''Pycnonotus leucotis'') is a member of the bulbul family. It is found in south-western Asia from India to the Arabian peninsula. Taxonomy and systematics The white-eared bulbul was originally described in the genus ''Ix ...

(as ''Ixos leucotis'') * Sooty-headed bulbul (germani) (as ''Ixus Germani'') *

White-spectacled bulbul The white-spectacled bulbul (''Pycnonotus xanthopygos'') is a member of the bulbul family. It is in length with a wingspan of . These birds live in fruit plantations, gardens, and cities. It is the most common member of the bulbul family in Isr ...

(as ''Ixus xanthopygos'') * Upper Guinea bulbul (as ''Ixos inornatus'') * Dark-capped bulbul (as ''Ixos tricolor'') * Pale-eyed bulbul (as ''Ixus Davisoni'') *

Yellow-throated bulbul The yellow-throated bulbul (''Pycnonotus xantholaemus'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family of passerine birds. The species is endemic to southern peninsular India. They are found on scrub habitats on steep, rocky hills many of which ...

(as ''Ixos xantholaemus'') * Yellow-vented bulbul (gourdini) (as ''Ixos gourdini'') * Spectacled bulbul (as ''Ixos erythropthalmos'') *

Yellow-throated leaflove The yellow-throated leaflove (''Atimastillas flavicollis'') is a species of leaflove in the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is the only species of the monotypic genus ''Atimastillas''. The yellow-throated leaflove is found in western and ce ...

(as ''Ixus flavicollis'') *

Yellow-bellied bulbul The yellow-bellied bulbul (''Alophoixus phaeocephalus'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. T ...

(as ''Ixos phaeocephalus'') *

Sulphur-bellied bulbul The sulphur-bellied bulbul (''Iole palawanensis'') is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to Palawan (Philippines). Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is not considered a thr ...

(as ''Ixos palawanensis'') * Seram golden bulbul (as ''Ixos affinis'') *

Philippine bulbul The Philippine bulbul (''Hypsipetes philippinus'') is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moi ...

(as ''Ixos philippinus'') * Mindoro bulbul (as ''Ixos mindorensis'') *

Visayan bulbul The Visayan bulbul (''Hypsipetes guimarasensis'') or Steere's bulbul, is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the western Visayas in the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowla ...

(as ''Ixos guimarasensis'') *

Zamboanga bulbul The Zamboanga bulbul (''Hypsipetes rufigularis'') is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests of Basilan and the Zamboanga ...

(as ''Ixos rufigularis'') *

Streak-breasted bulbul The streak-breasted bulbul (''Hypsipetes siquijorensis'') is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Philippines being found in the Visayas on the islands of Tablas Island, Siquijor, Cebu and Romblon where it ...

(as ''Ixos siquijorensis'') *

Yellowish bulbul The yellowish bulbul (''Hypsipetes everetti'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. Taxonomy and systematics The yellowish bulbul was originally described in the genus ''Criniger ''and later placed in the genus ''Ixos'' ...

(as ''Ixos everetti'') *

Brown-eared bulbul The brown-eared bulbul (''Hypsipetes amaurotis'') is a medium-sized bulbul native to eastern Asia. It is extremely common within the northern parts of its range and can be found from southern Sakhalin to the northern Philippines. Taxonomy and ...

(as ''Ixos amaurotis'')

Footnotes

References

* Gregory, Steven M. (2000): Nomenclature of the Hypsipetes Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae). ''

Forktail The forktails are small insectivorous birds in the genus ''Enicurus''. They were formerly in the thrush family, Turdidae, but are more often now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. Their name derives from their lon ...

'' 16: 164–166
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* Moyle, Robert G. & Marks, Ben D. (2006): Phylogenetic relationships of the bulbuls (Aves: Pycnonotidae) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data. '' Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.'' 40(3): 687–695. (HTML abstract) * Pasquet, Éric; Han, Lian-Xian; Khobkhet, Obhas & Cibois, Alice (2001): Towards a molecular systematics of the genus ''Criniger'', and a preliminary phylogeny of the bulbuls (Aves, Passeriformes, Pycnonotidae). ''Zoosystema'' 23(4): 857–863
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q1061823 Bulbuls Bird genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot