Hypsipetes

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.

Hypsipetes
Black bulbul (Hypsipetes leucocephalus psaroides) Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh (India)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Pycnonotidae
Genus:	Hypsipetes Vigors, 1831
Type species
Hypsipetes psaroides (black bulbul) Vigors, 1831
Species
see text
Synonyms
Ixocincla Blyth, 1845 Anepsia Reichenbach, 1850 (non Gistel, 1848: preoccupied) Haringtonia Mathews & Iredale, 1917

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 26 species:^[3]

• Nicobar bulbul, Hypsipetes nicobariensis (formerly placed in Ixos)
• Philippine bulbul, Hypsipetes philippinus
• Mindoro bulbul, Hypsipetes mindorensis
• Streak-breasted bulbul, Hypsipetes siquijorensis
• Seram golden bulbul, Hypsipetes affinis^[a]
• 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^[a]
• 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)^[b]
• 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)^[6]
• Yellow-browed bulbul (as Hypsipetes indica or Hypsipetes indicus)^[7]
• Hairy-backed bulbul (as Hypsipetes criniger)^[8]
• Olive bulbul (as Hypsipetes virescens or Hypsipetes viridescens)^[9]
• Grey-eyed bulbul (as Hypsipetes propinquus)^[10]
• Buff-vented bulbul (as Hypsipetes olivacea)^[11]
• Sulphur-bellied bulbul (as Hypsipetes palawanensis)^[12]
• Nicobar bulbul (as Hypsipetes nicobariensis, Hypsipetes virescens, or Ixocincla virescens)^[13][14]
• Mountain bulbul (as Hypsipetes mcclellandi or Hypsipetes mcclellandii)^[15] was often included in Hypsipetes due to an error that was promoted in modern times by the Sibley taxonomy^[16]
• Mountain bulbul (tickelli) (as Hypsipetes tickelli)^[17] was often included in Hypsipetes due to an error that was promoted in modern times by the Sibley taxonomy^[16]
• 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^[16]
• Streaked bulbul (as Hypsipetes malaccensis)^[19]
• Sunda bulbul (as Hypsipetes virescens)^[20] was often included in Hypsipetes due to an error that was promoted in modern times by the Sibley taxonomy^[16]
• Seram golden bulbul (as Hypsipetes affinis)^[21]
• Ashy bulbul (as Hypsipetes flavalus)^[22]
• Chestnut bulbul (as Hypsipetes castanonotus)^[23]
• White-headed bulbul (as Hypsipetes thompsoni)^[24]

Notes

1. Three species formerly assigned to Thapsinillas were moved to Hypsipetes after molecular phylogenetic analysis found Hypsipetes affinis embedded in the Hypsipetes clade.^[5][3]
2. A species formerly placed in the monotypoc genus Cerasophila was moved to Hypsipetes after molecular phylogenetic analysis found embedded in the Hypsipetes clade.^[5][3]