| Mauritius bulbul | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Pycnonotidae |
| Genus: | Hypsipetes |
| Species: | H. olivaceus |
| Binomial name | |
| Hypsipetes olivaceus | |
| Synonyms | |
The Mauritius bulbul (Hypsipetes olivaceus), is a songbird belonging to the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to Mauritius.
The Mauritius bulbul was the type species of the obsolete genus Ixocincla, which united various more or less closely related bulbuls from the entire Indian Ocean region. [3] Formerly, some authorities considered the Mauritius bulbul to belong to the genus Turdus . It has also been classified as a subspecies of the Réunion bulbul. [4] Alternative names include the Mauritius black bulbul and the Mauritius merle.
The Mauritius bulbul can reach a size up to 24 cm (9.4 in). It is characterized by bright yellow-brown eyes, pink legs, and an orange to yellow-hued bill. Its plumage is generally greyish contrasted with a black crest. The plumage of the juveniles is pale brown. Their bill is blackish. [5]
During the southern summer, the female lays two pinkish coloured eggs in a nest made from straw and roots. The incubation lasts between 14 and 16 days. [5]
The diet of the Mauritius bulbul consists of insects, seeds, and fruits. The ripe berries of the non-native Spanish Flag are especially favoured.
In earlier times, it was often served as a dish on festive days. Later, its main threats shifted to the replacement of their forest habitat by tea plantations and invasive weeds (including L. camara, which the birds themselves help to spread) and predation by the introduced crab-eating macaque. In the mid-1970s, only 200 pairs remained, but then the decline was stopped. Today it is rare but has a quite stable population; 280 pairs were counted in 1993. [6]
The bulbuls are members of a family, Pycnonotidae, of medium-sized passerine songbirds, which also includes greenbuls, brownbuls, leafloves, and bristlebills. The family is distributed across most of Africa and into the Middle East, tropical Asia to Indonesia, and north as far as Japan. A few insular species occur on the tropical islands of the Indian Ocean. There are 166 species in 32 genera. While different species are found in a wide range of habitats, the African species are predominantly found in rainforest, whereas Asian bulbuls are predominantly found in more open areas.
The yellow-browed bulbul, or golden-browed bulbul, is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in the forests of southern India and Sri Lanka. The yellow-browed bulbul is mainly yellow on the underside and olive above with a distinct yellow brow. They are easily located by their loud calls but tend to skulk within foliage below the forest canopy. While its taxonomic classification has changed over time, it is currently the sole species within the monotypic genus Acritillas which is closely related to Hemixos.
The black bulbul, also known as the Himalayan black bulbul or Asian black bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found primarily in the Himalayas, its range stretching from Pakistan eastward to Southeast Asia. It is the type species of the genus Hypsipetes, established by Nicholas Aylward Vigors in the early 1830s. There are a number of subspecies, mostly varying in the shade of the body plumage which ranges from grey to black, and some also occur in white-headed morphs, as also suggested by its specific epithet leucocephalus, literally "white head". The legs and bill are always rich orange-red.
The brown-eared bulbul is a medium-sized bulbul native to eastern Asia. It is extremely common within the northern parts of its range and can be found from southern Sakhalin to the northern Philippines.
The Réunion bulbul is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Réunion.
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.
The Nicobar bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Nicobar Islands. This species has sometimes been placed in the genus Ixos.
The white-headed bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.
The Javan bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family. It is the type species of the genus Ixos. It is endemic to the island of Java in Indonesia in its natural habitat of subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is not considered a threatened species by the IUCN.
Ixos is a genus of passerine birds in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.
The streaked bulbul, or green-backed bulbul, is a songbird species in the bulbul family (Pycnonotidae). It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.
The sulphur-bellied bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to Palawan (Philippines). Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests.
The Philippine bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.
The Zamboanga bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to the Philippines, where its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forests of Basilan and the Zamboanga Peninsula. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.
The streak-breasted bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.
(Tricholestes criniger) is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is the sole species contained within the monotypic genus Tricholestes. It is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Iole is a genus of songbirds in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. They are native to tropical eastern Asia, from India to China and south through Southeast Asia to northern Indonesia.
The Mindoro bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to Mindoro in the Philippines. Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and tropical moist montane forests. It was formerly considered a subspecies of Philippine bulbul but was recognized as a distinct species in 2010.
The Cebu bulbul also known as the Cebu slaty-crowned bulbul or the Cebu streak-breasted bulbul is a subspecies of the streak-breasted bulbul. It is endemic to the Philippines found only on the island of Cebu where its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. Thought extinct until its rediscovery in 1996, it is threatened by habitat loss and hunting. It is likely that this will eventually be split into a separate species and if so will become one of the most endangered species in the world.
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