Hypsipetes Explained

Hypsipetes is a genus of bulbuls, songbirds in the family Pycnonotidae. Most of its species occur in tropical forests around the Indian Ocean. But while the genus is quite diverse in the Madagascar region at the western end of its range it does not reach the African mainland.

Most Hypsipetes bulbuls are dark greyish birds with orange or red bills and feet. The feathers on top of the head are slightly elongated and usually black, and can be erected to form a short and wispy crest.

Taxonomy and systematics

The genus Hypsipetes was introduced in 1831 by the Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors with Hypsipetes psaroides as the type species.^[1] This taxon is now a subspecies of the black bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus psaroides.^{[2] [3]} The genus name combines the Ancient Greek hupsi meaning "high" with petēs meaning "-flyer".^[4]

Species

The genus contains 25 species:^[3]

• Philippine bulbul, Hypsipetes philippinus
• Mindoro bulbul, Hypsipetes mindorensis
• Streak-breasted bulbul, Hypsipetes siquijorensis
• Seram golden bulbul, Hypsipetes affinis
• Sangihe golden bulbul, Hypsipetes platenae (split from H. longirostris)
• Togian golden bulbul, Hypsipetes aureus (split from H. longirostris)
• Banggai golden bulbul, Hypsipetes harterti (split from H. longirostris)
• Sula golden bulbul, Hypsipetes longirostris (formerly northern golden bulbul before splits)
• Halmahera golden bulbul, Hypsipetes chloris (split from H. longirostris)
• Obi golden bulbul, Hypsipetes lucasi (split from H. longirostris)
• Buru golden bulbul, Hypsipetes mysticalis
• Visayan bulbul, Hypsipetes guimarasensis
• Yellowish bulbul, Hypsipetes everetti
• Camiguin bulbul, Hypsipetes catarmanensis
• Zamboanga bulbul, Hypsipetes rufigularis
• Brown-eared bulbul, Hypsipetes amaurotis
• Reunion bulbul, Hypsipetes borbonicus
• Malagasy bulbul, Hypsipetes madagascariensis
• Mauritius bulbul, Hypsipetes olivaceus)
• White-headed bulbul, Hypsipetes thompsoni)
• Black bulbul, Hypsipetes leucocephalus
• Square-tailed bulbul, Hypsipetes ganeesa
• Grande Comore bulbul, Hypsipetes parvirostris
• Moheli bulbul, Hypsipetes moheliensis
• Seychelles bulbul, Hypsipetes crassirostris

Extinct species

• †Rodrigues bulbul (Hypsipetes cowlesi)

Former species

Some authorities, either presently or formerly, recognize several additional species as belonging to the genus Hypsipetes including:

• Eastern bearded greenbul (as Hypsipetes malaccensis)^[5]
• Yellow-browed bulbul (as Hypsipetes indica or Hypsipetes indicus)^[6]
• Hairy-backed bulbul (as Hypsipetes criniger)^[7]
• Olive bulbul (as Hypsipetes virescens or Hypsipetes viridescens)^[8]
• Grey-eyed bulbul (as Hypsipetes propinquus)^[9]
• Buff-vented bulbul (as Hypsipetes olivacea)^[10]
• Sulphur-bellied bulbul (as Hypsipetes palawanensis)^[11]
• Nicobar bulbul (as Hypsipetes nicobariensis, Hypsipetes virescens, or Ixocincla virescens)^{[12] [13]}
• Mountain bulbul (as Hypsipetes mcclellandi or Hypsipetes mcclellandii)^[14] was often included in Hypsipetes due to an error that was promoted in modern times by the Sibley taxonomy^[15]
• Mountain bulbul (tickelli) (as Hypsipetes tickelli)^[16] was often included in Hypsipetes due to an error that was promoted in modern times by the Sibley taxonomy^[17]
• Mountain bulbul (holtii) (as Hypsipetes holtii)^[18] was often included in Hypsipetes due to an error that was promoted in modern times by the Sibley taxonomy^[19]
• Streaked bulbul (as Hypsipetes malaccensis)^[20]
• Sunda bulbul (as Hypsipetes virescens)^[21] was often included in Hypsipetes due to an error that was promoted in modern times by the Sibley taxonomy^[22]
• Seram golden bulbul (as Hypsipetes affinis)^[23]
• Ashy bulbul (as Hypsipetes flavalus)^[24]
• Chestnut bulbul (as Hypsipetes castanonotus)^[25]
• White-headed bulbul (as Hypsipetes thompsoni)^[26]

Sources

• Gregory, Steven M. (2000): Nomenclature of the Hypsipetes Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae). Forktail 16: 164–166. PDF fulltext
• 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. PDF fulltext

Notes and References

1. Vigors . Nicholas Aylward . Nicholas Aylward Vigors . 1831 . Hypsipetes . Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London . 1 . 4 . 43 .
2. Book: Dickinson . E.C. . Edward C. Dickinson . Christidis . L. . Leslie Christidis . 2014 . The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World . 2: Passerines . 4th . Eastbourne, UK . Aves Press . 978-0-9568611-2-2 . 491–492 .
3. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . January 2021 . Bulbuls . IOC World Bird List Version 11.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 20 June 2021.
4. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 200 .
5. Web site: Criniger chloronotus - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-05-09.
6. Web site: Acritillas indica - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-06-02.
7. Web site: Tricholestes criniger - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-06-02.
8. Web site: Iole viridescens - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-06-04.
9. Web site: Iole propinqua - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-06-05.
10. Web site: Iole charlottae - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-06-05.
11. Web site: Iole palawanensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-06-05.
12. Web site: Ixos nicobariensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-06-06.
13. Book: Balfour, Edward. Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Commercial, Industrial and Scientific: Products of the Mineral, Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures. 1871. Printed at the Scottish & Adelphi presses. en.
14. Web site: Ixos mcclellandii - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-06-14.
15. Gregory (2000)
16. Web site: Ixos mcclellandii tickelli - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-06-14.
17. Gregory (2000)
18. Web site: Ixos mcclellandii holtii - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-06-14.
19. Gregory (2000)
20. Web site: Ixos malaccensis (Streaked Bulbul) - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-08-25.
21. Web site: Ixos virescens (Sunda Bulbul) - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-10-24.
22. Gregory (2000)
23. Web site: Thapsinillas [affinis, mystacalis or longirostris] (Golden Bulbul) - Avibase]. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-10-18.
24. Web site: Hemixos flavala (Ashy Bulbul) - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-10-23.
25. Web site: Hemixos casteonotus (Chestnut Bulbul) - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-10-23.
26. Web site: Cerasophila thompsoni (White-headed Bulbul) - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-11-08.