# Criniger

Criniger is a genus of songbirds in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. The species of Criniger are found in western and central Africa.

## Taxonomy

The genus Criniger was introduced in 1820 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck, the name Criniger is Latin for "long-haired" (from crinis, meaning "hair" and gerere, meaning "to carry"). A year later Temminck designated the type species as the western bearded greenbul.

### Species

The genus contains five species:
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
| - | Western bearded greenbul | Criniger barbatus | Guinean Forests of West Africa |
| - | eastern bearded greenbul | Criniger chloronotus | Congolian rainforests |
| - | Red-tailed greenbul | Criniger calurus | African tropical rainforest |
| - | White-bearded greenbul | Criniger ndussumensis | Congolian rainforests |
| - | Yellow-bearded greenbul | Criniger olivaceus | Upper Guinean forests |

### Former species

Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Criniger:
* Striated bulbul (as Tricophorus striatus or Criniger striatus)
* Streak-eared bulbul (as Criniger Conradi)
* Western greenbul (as Trichophorus tephrolaemus)
* Olive-headed greenbul (as Criniger olivaceiceps)
* Golden greenbul (as Criniger serinus)
* Honeyguide greenbul (as Criniger indicator)
* Upper Guinea honeyguide greenbul (as Trichophorus leucurus)
* Yellow-bellied greenbul (as Trichophorus flaviventris)
* Falkenstein's greenbul (as Criniger Falkensteini)
* Simple greenbul (as Trichophorus simplex)
* Yellow-throated leaflove (as Trichophorus flavicollis or Criniger flavicollis)
* Uganda yellow-throated greenbul (as Trichophorus flavigula)
* Northern brownbul (as Criniger strepitans)
* Fischer's greenbul (as Criniger Fischeri)
* Cabanis's greenbul (as Criniger cabanisi)
* Icterine greenbul (as Trichophorus icterinus)
* Red-tailed bristlebill (multicolor) (as Criniger multicolor)
* Green-tailed bristlebill (as Trichophorus eximius)
* Yellow-lored bristlebill (as Trichophorus notatus)
* Grey-headed bristlebill (as Trichophorus canicapillus)
* Finsch's bulbul (as Criniger finschi)
* White-throated bulbul (as Trichophorus flaveolus or Criniger flaveolus)
* White-throated bulbul (burmanicus) (as Criniger burmanicus)
* Puff-throated bulbul (as Criniger pallidus)
* Grey-crowned bulbul (as Criniger griseiceps)
* Puff-throated bulbul (henrici) (as Criniger Henrici)
* Ochraceous bulbul (as Criniger ochraceus)
* Ochraceous bulbul (sordidus) (as Criniger sordidus)
* Ochraceous bulbul (sumatranus) (as Criniger sumatranus)
* Ochraceous bulbul (ruficrissus) (as Criniger ruficrissus)
* Grey-cheeked bulbul (as Criniger bres)
* Grey-cheeked bulbul (tephrogenys) (as Trichophorus tephrogenys)
* Grey-cheeked bulbul (gutturalis) (as Trichophorus gutturalis or Criniger gutturalis)
* Palawan bulbul (as Criniger frater)
* Yellow-bellied bulbul (as Criniger phaeocephalus)
* Yellow-bellied bulbul (diardi) (as Criniger diardi)
* Yellow-bellied bulbul (sulphuratus) (as Trichophorus sulphuratus)
* Yellow-browed bulbul (as Trichophorus indicus)
* Yellow-browed bulbul (icterica) (as Criniger ictericus)
* Hairy-backed bulbul (as Trichophorus minutus)
* Hairy-backed bulbul (sericeus) (as Criniger sericea)
* Grey-eyed bulbul (as Criniger propinquus)
* Charlotte's bulbul (as Criniger charlottae)
* Sulphur-bellied bulbul (as Criniger palawanensis)
* Seram golden bulbul (as Criniger affinis)
* Ambon golden bulbul (as Trichophorus flavicaudus)
* Northern golden bulbul (as Criniger longirostris)
* Sangihe golden bulbul (as Criniger Platenae)
* Togian golden bulbul (as Criniger aureus)
* Halmahera golden bulbul (as Criniger Chloris)
* Buru golden bulbul (as Criniger mystacalis)
* Yellowish bulbul (as Criniger Everetti)
* Sulu bulbul (as Criniger Haynaldi)