Bristlebills | |
---|---|
Grey-headed bristlebill (Bleda canicapillus) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Infraorder: | Passerides |
Family: | Pycnonotidae |
Genus: | Bleda Bonaparte, 1857 |
Type species | |
Dasycephala syndactyla (Red-tailed bristlebill) Swainson, 1837 | |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
|
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.
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]
The genus contains five species: [3]
Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Bleda:
The sombre greenbul 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 Andropadus.
The greenbuls are a group of birds within the bulbul family Pycnonotidae, found only within Africa. They are all largely drab olive-green above, and paler below, with few distinguishing features.
The yellow-throated mountain greenbul, also known as the yellow-throated greenbul, is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is an African species found in east-central and southern Tanzania.
The stripe-cheeked greenbul is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in south-eastern Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
The black-headed mountain greenbul, also known as the mountain greenbul or eastern mountain greenbul, is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in eastern Africa. Its diet consists of fruit and nectar.
Falkenstein's greenbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found from western Cameroon and Central African Republic to central Angola. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, moist savanna, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
Chlorocichla is a genus of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. They are mainly present throughout the African tropical rainforest, excepted the yellow-bellied greenbul, native to the miombo woodlands.
The yellow-gorgeted greenbul, 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 tropical dry forests, moist savanna, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
Criniger is a genus of songbirds in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. The species of Criniger are found in western and central Africa.
Ixos is a genus of passerine birds in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.
Phyllastrephus is a songbird genus in the bulbul family Pycnonotidae. Most of the species in the genus are typical greenbuls, though two are brownbuls, and one is a leaflove.
The lowland tiny greenbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in eastern Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
Pycnonotus is a genus of frugivorous passerine birds in the bulbul family Pycnonotidae.
The red-tailed leaflove is a species of leaflove in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in western and central Africa.
The swamp palm bulbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is monotypic within the genus Thescelocichla.
The montane tiny greenbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Usambara and Nguru Mountains in Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
The placid greenbul is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in eastern Africa from eastern Kenya through Tanzania to north-eastern Zambia, Malawi and north-western Mozambique. In the Taita Hills, habitat features associated with nest‐site selection vary among forest fragments that are exposed to different levels of habitat disturbance.
Sharpe's greenbul or the Malawi greenbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in Africa in south-western Tanzania, north-eastern Zambia and northern Malawi.
The Kikuyu mountain greenbul, also known as the olive-breasted greenbul, is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, south-western and south-eastern Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and central Kenya.
The black-browed mountain greenbul, 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, Malawi and west-central Mozambique.