Bristlebill Explained

The bristlebills are a genus Bleda of passerine birds in the bulbul family Pycnonotidae. They are found in the forest understorey of western and central Africa. They forage for insects at or near ground-level, often near water. They will follow driver ant swarms to catch prey items fleeing from the ants and they frequently join mixed-species feeding flocks.

They are 18–23 cm long with fairly long, stout bills. The upperparts are mainly green-brown while the underparts are yellow. The birds have whistling songs.

The nest is made of leaves or sticks and built in a shrub or small tree. Two eggs are laid.

Taxonomy

The genus Bleda was introduced in 1857 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte with the red-tailed bristlebill as the type species.^[1] The genus was named after Bleda, elder brother of Attila and joint ruler of the Huns.^[2]

Species

The genus contains five species:

• Red-tailed bristlebill (Bleda syndactylus)
• Green-tailed bristlebill (Bleda eximius)
• Grey-headed bristlebill (Bleda canicapillus)
• Yellow-lored bristlebill (Bleda notatus)
• Yellow-eyed bristlebill (Bleda ugandae)

Former species

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

• Kakamega greenbul (as Xenocichla kakamegae)^[3]
• Olive-breasted greenbul (as Xenocichla kikuyuensis)^[4]
• Mountain greenbul (as Xenocichla nigriceps)^[5]
• Black-browed greenbul (as Xenocichla fusciceps)^[6]
• Yellow-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla chlorigula)^[7]
• Stripe-cheeked greenbul (as Xenocichla milanjensis)^[8]
• Stripe-faced greenbul (as Xenocichla striifacies)^[9]
• Sjöstedt's greenbul (as Xenocichla clamans)^[10]
• Yellow-throated leaflove (as Xenocichla flavicollis)^[11]
• Uganda yellow-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla pallidigula)^[12]
• Gabon leaflove (as Xenocichla orientalis)^[13]
• Placid greenbul (as Xenocichla placida)^[14]
• Xavier's greenbul (as Xenocichla Xavieri)^[15]
• White-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla albigularis)^[16]
• Yellow-streaked greenbul (tenuirostris) (as Xenocichla tenuirostris)^[17]
• Sharpe's greenbul (as Bleda alfredi)^[18]
• Grey-headed greenbul (as Xenocichla poliocephala)^[19]
• Lowland tiny greenbul (as Xenocichla debilis)^[20]
• Yellow-bearded greenbul (as Xenocichla olivacea)^[21]

References

• African Bird club (2006) ABC African Checklist: Passerines Accessed 31/07/07.
• Serle, W.; Morel G.J. & Hartwig, W. (1977) Collins Field Guide: Birds of West Africa, HarperCollins.
• Sinclair, Ian & Ryan, Peter (2003) Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, Struik, Cape Town.

Notes

Notes and References

1. Bonaparte . Charles Lucien . Charles Lucien Bonaparte . 1857 . Notes sur le genre Moquinus, nouvelle forme intermédiaire aux Turdides, aux Laniides et aux Muscicapides; sur le nouveau genre Myiagrien Schwaneria : et sur le Catalogue des Oiseaux d'Europe et d'Algérie . French . Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée . 2nd . 9 . 49–63 . Biodiversity Heritage Library.
2. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 73 .
3. Web site: Arizelocichla kakamegae - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-02.
4. Web site: Arizelocichla kikuyuensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-04.
5. Web site: Arizelocichla nigriceps - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-04.
6. Web site: Arizelocichla fusciceps - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-05.
7. Web site: Arizelocichla chlorigula - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-05.
8. Web site: Arizelocichla milanjensis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-06.
9. Web site: Arizelocichla striifacies - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-06.
10. Web site: Baeopogon clamans - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-11.
11. Web site: Atimastillas flavicollis soror - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-17.
12. Web site: Atimastillas flavicollis flavigula (pallidigula) - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-17.
13. Web site: Phyllastrephus scandens orientalis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-04-19.
14. Web site: Phyllastrephus placidus - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-05-03.
15. Web site: Phyllastrephus xavieri - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-05-05.
16. Web site: Phyllastrephus albigularis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-05-05.
17. Web site: Phyllastrephus flavostriatus tenuirostris - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-05-06.
18. Web site: Phyllastrephus alfredi - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-05-06.
19. Web site: Phyllastrephus poliocephalus - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-05-06.
20. Web site: Phyllastrephus debilis - Avibase. avibase.bsc-eoc.org. 2017-05-06.
21. Book: Zoology, British Museum (Natural History) Dept of. Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum: Passeriformes, or perching birds. Cichlomorphœ: pt. III-IV, containing the ... family Timeliidœ (babbling-thrushes) by R.B. Sharpe. 1881-01-01. order of the Trustees. en.