# Pycnonotus

Pycnonotus is a genus of frugivorous passerine birds in the bulbul family Pycnonotidae.

## Taxonomy and systematics

The genus Pycnonotus was introduced by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1826 with the Cape bulbul as the type species. The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek words puknos "thick" or "compact" and -nōtos "-backed".
The genus contains the following 31 species:
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
| | Cream-vented bulbul | Pycnonotus simplex | Malesia |
| | Olive-winged bulbul | Pycnonotus plumosus | Malesia |
| | Asian red-eyed bulbul | Pycnonotus brunneus | Malesia |
| - | Straw-headed bulbul | Pycnonotus zeylanicus | Malesia |
| - | Spot-necked bulbul | Pycnonotus tympanistrigus | Bukit Barisan |
| - | Cream-eyed bulbul | Pycnonotus pseudosimplex | northern Borneo |
| | Ashy-fronted bulbul | Pycnonotus cinereifrons | Palawan |
| | White-browed bulbul | Pycnonotus luteolus | South Asia |
| - | Ayeyarwady bulbul | Pycnonotus blanfordi | Myanmar |
| | Streak-eared bulbul | Pycnonotus conradi | Indochina |
| | Stripe-throated bulbul | Pycnonotus finlaysoni | Indochina |
| | Pale-eyed bulbul | Pycnonotus davisoni | Myanmar |
| | Flavescent bulbul | Pycnonotus flavescens | Northeast India and northern Indochina |
| - | Aceh bulbul | Pycnonotus snouckaerti | northern Sumatra |
| | Orange-spotted bulbul | Pycnonotus bimaculatus | montane Sumatra, Java and Bali |
| | Pale-faced bulbul | Pycnonotus leucops | montane Borneo |
| | Yellow-throated bulbul | Pycnonotus xantholaemus | southern India |
| | Yellow-eared bulbul | Pycnonotus penicillatus | Sri Lanka |
| | Brown-breasted bulbul | Pycnonotus xanthorrhous | China and northern Indochina |
| | Light-vented bulbul | Pycnonotus sinensis | China and Taiwan |
| | Styan's bulbul | Pycnonotus taivanus | Taiwan |
| | Red-whiskered bulbul | Pycnonotus jocosus | South India, southern China and Indochina |
| | Yellow-vented bulbul | Pycnonotus goiavier | Southeast Asia |
| | Red-vented bulbul | Pycnonotus cafer | South Asia and Myanmar |
| | Sooty-headed bulbul | Pycnonotus aurigaster | southern China and Indochina |
| | White-eared bulbul | Pycnonotus leucotis | Irak, Persian Gulf to northwestern India |
| | Himalayan bulbul | Pycnonotus leucogenys | Himalayas |
| | White-spectacled bulbul | Pycnonotus xanthopygos | Middle East |
| | African red-eyed bulbul | Pycnonotus nigricans | southern Africa |
| | Common bulbul | Pycnonotus barbatus | Africa |
| | Cape bulbul | Pycnonotus capensis | fynbos of South Africa |

### Former species

In previous circumscriptions the genus Pycnonotus was considerably larger. Recent taxonomic revisions have seen many species transferred to other genera.
In 2010, eighteen former Pycnonotus species were reclassified into different genera, either directly from Pycnonotus or from the genus Andropadus, to which they had already been transferred by some authorities. These changes were as follows:
* one species was transferred to genus Stelgidillas.
** Slender-billed greenbul ( former Pycnonotus gracilirostri or Pycnonotus gracilirostris)
* twelve species were transferred to genus Arizelocichla:
** Shelley's greenbul (former Pycnonotus masukuensis)
** Kakamega greenbul (nominate) (former Pycnonotus kakamegae)
** Cameroon greenbul (former Pycnonotus montanus, as Arizelocichla montana)
** Western greenbul (former Pycnonotus tephrolaemus)
** Olive-breasted greenbul (former Pycnonotus tephrolaema)
** Mountain greenbul (former Pycnonotus nigriceps)
** Uluguru greenbul (former Pycnonotus neumanni)
** Black-browed greenbul (former Pycnonotus fusciceps)
** Yellow-throated greenbul (former Pycnonotus chlorigula)
** Stripe-cheeked greenbul (former Pycnonotus milanjensis)
** Olive-headed greenbul (former Pycnonotus olivaceiceps)
** Stripe-faced greenbul (former Pycnonotus strifacies)
* five species were transferred to genus Eurillas:
** Little greenbul (former Pycnonotus virens)
** Little grey greenbul (former Pycnonotus gracilis)
** Ansorge's greenbul (former Pycnonotus ansorgei)
** Plain greenbul (former Pycnonotus curvirostris)
** Yellow-whiskered greenbul (former Pycnonotus latirostris)
In 2020, a further 17 species were transferred to other genera:
* Black-and-white bulbul (former Pycnonotus melanoleucos, moved to the monotypic genus Microtarsus)
* Puff-backed bulbul (former Pycnonotus eutilotus, moved to the monotypic genus Eutilotus)
* Yellow-wattled bulbul (former Pycnonotus urostictus, moved to monotypic genus Poliolophus)
* Two species to genus Alcurus:
** Striated bulbul (former Pycnonotus striatus)
** Spot-necked bulbul (former Pycnonotus tympanistrigus)
* Four species to genus Brachypodius:
** Grey-headed bulbul (former Pycnonotus priocephalus)
** Black-headed bulbul (former Pycnonotus atriceps, as Brachypodius melanocephalos; the species epithet melanocephalos has priority over atriceps)
** Andaman bulbul (former Pycnonotus fuscoflavescens)
** Blue-wattled bulbul (former Pycnonotus nieuwenhuisii)
* Three species to genus Ixodia:
** Spectacled bulbul (former Pycnonotus erythropthalmos)
** Grey-bellied bulbul (former Pycnonotus cyaniventris)
** Scaly-breasted bulbul (former Pycnonotus squamatus)
* Five species to genus Rubigula:
** Black-crested bulbul (former Pycnonotus flaviventris)
** Flame-throated bulbul (former Pycnonotus gularis)
** Black-capped bulbul (former Pycnonotus melanicterus)
** Ruby-throated bulbul (former Pycnonotus dispar)
** Bornean bulbul (former Pycnonotus montis)
Other former Pycnonotus species include:
* Sombre greenbul (former Pycnonotus importunus, now Andropadus importunus)
* Yellow-throated leaflove (former Haematornis flavicollis or Pycnonotus flavicollis, now Atimastillas flavicollis)
* Hairy-backed bulbul (former Brachypodius criniger, now Tricholestes criniger)
* Bare-faced bulbul (former Pycnonotus hualon, now Nok hualon)
* Cream-striped bulbul (former Pycnonotus leucogrammicus, now Hemixos leucogrammicus)