Hairy-backed bulbul explained

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.^[1] It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Taxonomy and systematics

The hairy-backed bulbul was originally described in the genus Brachypodius (a synonym for Pycnonotus). Alternatively, some authorities have classified the hairy-backed bulbul in the genera Trichophorus (a synonym for Criniger) and Hypsipetes.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are currently recognized:^[2]

• T. c. criniger - (Blyth, 1845): Found on the Malay Peninsula and eastern Sumatra
• T. c. sericeus - (Blyth, 1865): Originally described as a separate species in the genus Criniger. Found on western Sumatra
• T. c. viridis - (Bonaparte, 1854): Originally described as a separate species in the genus Trichophoropsis (a synonym for Setornis). Found on Borneo

Notes and References

1. Steven M. Gregory . 2000 . Nomenclature of the Hypsipetes bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) . . 16 . 164–166 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080828051747/http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/forktail/16pdfs/Gregory-Bulbuls.pdf . 2008-08-28 .
2. Web site: Bulbuls « IOC World Bird List. www.worldbirdnames.org. en-US. 2017-06-02.