Yellow Vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier

''Pycnonotus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of frugivorous

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 generally have an anisodactyl arrangement of their ...

birds in the bulbul family

Pycnonotidae The bulbuls are members of a family (biology), family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized perching bird, passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and in ...

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus ''Pycnonotus'' was introduced by the German zoologist

Friedrich Boie Friedrich Boie (4 June 1789 – 3 March 1870) was a German entomologist, herpetologist, ornithologist, and lawyer.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Universi ...

in 1826 with the

Cape bulbul The Cape bulbul (''Pycnonotus capensis'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is an endemic resident breeder in coastal bush, open forest, gardens and fynbos in western and southern South Africa. This species nests mainly in t ...

as the

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, 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 spe ...

. The name of the genus combines the

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

words ''puknos'' "thick" or "compact" and ''-nōtos'' "-backed". The genus contains the following 31 species:

Former species

In previous circumscriptions the genus ''Pycnonotus'' was considerably larger. Recent taxonomic revisions have seen many species transferred to other genera. In 2010, eighteen former ''Pycnonotus'' species were reclassified into different genera, either directly from ''Pycnonotus'' or from the genus ''

Andropadus The sombre greenbul (''Andropadus importunus'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a resident breeder in coastal bush, evergreen forest and dry shrub land in eastern and southern Africa. It is the only member of the genus ...

'', to which they had already been transferred by some authorities. These changes were as follows: * one species was transferred to genus Stelgidillas. **

Slender-billed greenbul The slender-billed greenbul (''Stelgidillas gracilirostris'') is a species in the monotypic genus ''Stelgidillas'' of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in western and central Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropica ...

( former ''Pycnonotus gracilirostri'' or ''Pycnonotus gracilirostris'') * twelve species were transferred to genus

Arizelocichla ''Arizelocichla'' is a genus of greenbuls, songbirds in the bulbul family (biology), family (Pycnonotidae). The genus was revived in 2010 when twelve species of bulbuls from the genus ''Andropadus'' were separated and re-classified in the genus ...

: **

Shelley's greenbul Shelley's greenbul (''Arizelocichla masukuensis'') or Shelley's bulbul, is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in east-central Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or trop ...

(former ''Pycnonotus masukuensis'') ** Kakamega greenbul (nominate) (former ''Pycnonotus kakamegae'') **

Cameroon greenbul The Cameroon mountain greenbul (''Arizelocichla montana'') is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in the Cameroonian Highlands forests. It is suspected to become rarer due to habitat loss, largely from agriculture, alt ...

(former ''Pycnonotus montanus'', as ''Arizelocichla montana'') **

Western greenbul The western greenbul (''Arizelocichla tephrolaema'') is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in the Cameroonian Highlands forests. Taxonomy and systematics The western greenbul was originally described in the genus '' T ...

(former ''Pycnonotus tephrolaemus'') **

Olive-breasted greenbul The Kikuyu mountain greenbul (''Arizelocichla kikuyuensis''), also known as the olive-breasted greenbul, is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is native to the Lake Victoria region. Taxonomy and systematics The Kikuyu mountain ...

(former ''Pycnonotus tephrolaema'') **

Mountain greenbul The black-headed mountain greenbul (''Arizelocichla nigriceps''), also known as the mountain greenbul or eastern mountain greenbul, is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is native to the eastern Afromontane. Its diet consists o ...

(former ''Pycnonotus nigriceps'') ** Uluguru greenbul (former ''Pycnonotus neumanni'') **

Black-browed greenbul The black-browed mountain greenbul (''Arizelocichla fusciceps''), formerly the black-browed greenbul, is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in south-eastern Africa from south-western Tanzania to north-eastern Zambia, ...

(former ''Pycnonotus fusciceps'') **

Yellow-throated greenbul The yellow-throated mountain greenbul (''Arizelocichla chlorigula''), also known as the yellow-throated greenbul, is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is native to the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Taxonomy and systemati ...

(former ''Pycnonotus chlorigula'') ** Stripe-cheeked greenbul (former ''Pycnonotus milanjensis'') ** Olive-headed greenbul (former ''Pycnonotus olivaceiceps'') **

Stripe-faced greenbul The olive-headed greenbul (''Arizelocichla striifacies'') is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is native to the eastern Afromontane. Taxonomy The olive-headed greenbul was species description, formally described in 1895 by th ...

(former ''Pycnonotus strifacies'') * five species were transferred to genus

Eurillas ''Eurillas'' is a genus of greenbuls, passerine birds in the bulbul family (biology), family Pycnonotidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Eurillas'' was introduced in 1899 by the American ornithologist Harry C. Oberholser with the little greenbul as the t ...

: **

Little greenbul The little greenbul (''Eurillas virens'') is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Taxonomy and systematics The little greenbul was originally described in the genus ''Andropadus'' an ...

(former ''Pycnonotus virens'') ** Little grey greenbul (former ''Pycnonotus gracilis'') ** Ansorge's greenbul (former ''Pycnonotus ansorgei'') ** Plain greenbul (former ''Pycnonotus curvirostris'') ** Yellow-whiskered greenbul (former ''Pycnonotus latirostris'') In 2020, a further 17 species were transferred to other genera: * Black-and-white bulbul (former ''Pycnonotus melanoleucos'', moved to the monotypic genus ''Microtarsus'') *

Puff-backed bulbul The puff-backed bulbul (''Euptilotus eutilotus'') is a species of songbird in the family Pycnonotidae. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Euptilotus''. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Alternate names for the puff ...

(former ''Pycnonotus eutilotus'', moved to the monotypic genus ''Eutilotus'') * Yellow-wattled bulbul (former ''Pycnonotus urostictus'', moved to monotypic genus ''Poliolophus'') * Two species to genus ''

Alcurus The striated bulbul (''Alcurus striatus'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Alcurus ''. It is found from the eastern Himalayas to northern Vietnam. Its natural habitat is s ...

'': ** Striated bulbul (former ''Pycnonotus striatus'') **

Spot-necked bulbul The spot-necked bulbul (''Pycnonotus 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 ...

(former ''Pycnonotus tympanistrigus'') * Four species to genus ''

Brachypodius The genus ''Brachypodius'' is a small genus of songbirds in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae, that are found in South Asia, South and Southeast Asia. Taxonomy The genus ''Brachypodius'' was introduced in 1845 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth ...

'': **

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 de ...

(former ''Pycnonotus priocephalus'') **

Black-headed bulbul The black-headed bulbul (''Brachypodius melanocephalos'') is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in forests in south-eastern Asia. Taxonomy The black-headed bulbul was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Jo ...

(former ''Pycnonotus atriceps'', as ''Brachypodius melanocephalos''; the species epithet ''melanocephalos'' has priority over ''atriceps'') **

Andaman bulbul The Andaman bulbul (''Brachypodius fuscoflavescens'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to the Andaman Islands. It has a mainly olive-yellow plumage and has most of the head olive. It feeds on small fruit and ber ...

(former ''Pycnonotus fuscoflavescens'') ** Blue-wattled bulbul (former ''Pycnonotus nieuwenhuisii'') * Three species to genus '' Ixodia'': **

Spectacled bulbul The spectacled bulbul (''Ixodia erythropthalmos''), also known as the lesser brown bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. The spectacled bulbul was originally describe ...

(former ''Pycnonotus erythropthalmos'') **

Grey-bellied bulbul The grey-bellied bulbul (''Ixodia cyaniventris'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by hab ...

(former ''Pycnonotus cyaniventris'') **

Scaly-breasted bulbul The scaly-breasted bulbul (''Ixodia squamata'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family. It is found from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. ...

(former ''Pycnonotus squamatus'') * Five species to genus ''

Rubigula ''Rubigula'' is a genus of Asian passerine birds in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. Taxonomy The genus ''Rubigula'' was introduced in 1845 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth. The type species was designated as the ruby-throated bulbul by Geo ...

'': ** Black-crested bulbul (former ''Pycnonotus flaviventris'') **

Flame-throated bulbul The flame-throated bulbul (''Rubigula gularis'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds and the state bird of Goa. It is found only in the forests of the Western Ghats in southern India. Formerly included as a subspecies of ''Pycn ...

(former ''Pycnonotus gularis'') **

Black-capped bulbul The black-capped bulbul (''Rubigula melanictera''), or black-headed yellow bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. Taxonomy The black-capped bulbul was Species description, formally described in ...

(former ''Pycnonotus melanicterus'') **

Ruby-throated bulbul The ruby-throated bulbul (''Rubigula dispar''), or yellow bulbul, also known as flame throated bulbul is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found on Sumatra, Java, and Bali. Taxonomy and systematics The ruby-throated bulbul ...

(former ''Pycnonotus dispar'') **

Bornean bulbul The Bornean bulbul (''Rubigula montis'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to the island of Borneo. Taxonomy and systematics The Bornean bulbul was previously placed in genus ''Pycnonotus''. This genus was foun ...

(former ''Pycnonotus montis'') Other former ''Pycnonotus'' species include: *

Sombre greenbul The sombre greenbul (''Andropadus importunus'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a resident breeder in coastal bush, evergreen forest and dry shrub land in eastern and southern Africa. It is the only member of the genus ...

(former ''Pycnonotus importunus'', now ''Andropadus importunus'') *

Yellow-throated leaflove The yellow-gorgeted greenbul (''Atimastillas flavicollis''), formerly known as the yellow-throated leaflove, is a species of passerine bird in the bulbul family Pycnonotidae. It is found in West Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tr ...

(former ''Haematornis flavicollis'' or ''Pycnonotus flavicollis'', now ''Atimastillas flavicollis'') *

Hairy-backed bulbul The hairy-backed bulbul (''Tricholestes criniger'') is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is the sole species contained within the monotypic genus ''Tricholestes''. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. ...

(former ''Brachypodius criniger'', now ''Tricholestes criniger'') * Bare-faced bulbul (former ''Pycnonotus hualon'', now ''Nok hualon'') *

Cream-striped bulbul The cream-striped bulbul (''Ixos 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 move ...

(former ''Pycnonotus leucogrammicus'', now ''Hemixos leucogrammicus'')

References

External links

* Bulbuls Taxa named by Friedrich Boie Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Long stubs with short prose {{Pycnonotidae-stub