Comparison of mtDNA cytochrome "b" sequences found that five species of "Phyllastrephus" did not belong to the bulbuls, but to an enigmatic group of songbirds from Madagascar instead (Cibois "et al.", 2001; see below for the species in question), and they are now usually referred to as Malagasy warblers. Similarly, sequence analysis of the nDNA RAG1 and RAG2 genes suggests that the genus "Nicator" is not a bulbul either (Beresford "et al.", 2005). That the previous arrangement had failed to take into account biogeography was indicated by the study of Pasquet "et al." (2001) who demonstrated the genus "Criniger" must be divided into an African and an Asian ("Alophoixus") lineage. Using analysis of one nDNA and 2 mtDNA sequences, Moyle & Marks (2006) found one largely Asian lineage and one African group of greenbuls and bristlebills; the golden greenbul seemes to be very distinct and form a group of its own. Some taxa are not monophyletic, and more research is necessary to determine relationships within the larger genera.
Currently, there are 158 recognized species in 32 genera:
Bulbuls are short-necked slender passerines. The tails are long and the wings short and rounded. In almost all species the bill is slightly elongated and slightly hooked at the end. They vary in length from 13 cm for the tiny greenbul to 29 cm in the straw-headed bulbul. Overall the sexes are alike, although the females tend to be slightly smaller. In a few species the differences are so great that they have been described as functionally different species. The soft plumage of some species is colorful with yellow, red or orange vents, cheeks, throat or supercilia, but most are drab, with uniform olive-brown to black plumage. Species with dull coloured eyes often sport contrasting eyerings. Some have very distinct crests. Bulbuls are highly vocal, with the calls of most species being described as nasal or gravelly. One author described the song of the brown-eared bulbul as "the most unattractive noises made by any bird".
The bulbuls are generally monogamous. One unusual exception is the yellow-whiskered greenbul which at least over part of its range appears to be polygamous and engage in a lekking system. Some species also have alloparenting arrangements, where non-breeders, usually the young from earlier clutches, help raise the young of a dominant breeding pair. Up to five purple-pink eggs are laid in an open tree nests and incubated by the female. Incubation usually lasts between 11–14 days, and chicks fledge after 12–16 days.
Bulbuls eat a wide range of foods, ranging from fruit to seeds, nectar, small insects and other arthropods and even small vertebrates. The majority of species are frugivorous and supplement their diet with some insects, although there is a significant minority of specialists, particularly in Africa. Open country species in particular are generalists. Bulbuls in the genus "Criniger" and bristlebills in the genus "Bleda" will join mixed-species feeding flocks.
The red-whiskered bulbuls and red-vented bulbuls have been captured for the pet trade in great numbers and have been widely introduced to tropical and subtropical areas, for example southern Florida, Fiji, Australia and Hawaii. Some species are regarded as crop pests, particularly in orchards.
In general bulbuls and greenbuls are resistant to human pressures on the environment and are tolerant of disturbed habitat. Around 13 species are considered threatened by human activities, mostly specialised forest species threatened by habitat loss.
Wolseley Expedition
The Wolseley Expedition was a military force put together to capture the Canadian Métis leader Louis Riel. It was led by Colonel Garnet Wolsely. The expedition took place in 1870 and went from Toronto to Winnipeg. Because of the fact that the expedition had to carry so much equipment and guns, the Wolsely Expedition is thought to be one of the most difficult in all of recent history.
Bert Diaries
The Bert Diaries are a series of novels written in the form of a diary. They are by Swedish writers Anders Jacobsson and Sören Olsson. The main character is a teenager named Bert Ljung. Ljung lives in Öreskoga, a fictional town in Sweden, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The first book was published in 1987. Bert and his friends also have a pop/rock band, the "Heman Hunters".
A TV series was made in 1994. It is directed by Tomas Alfredson and Svante Kettner. It was followed by a movie in 1995, also directed by Alfredson. In late-July 2016 the recording of a new Bert film was announced.
Between 1993 and 2002, and comic book, "FF med Bert", was published Between 1992 and 1999, comic albums were published.
Sune (book series)
The Sune series is a series of children's/youth books by Swedish writers Anders Jacobsson and Sören Olsson. The books have been published since 1984. The stories are originally a radio series, produced as totally 90 episodes for Swedish radio between the years of 1983 and 1993. The Sune books are set in fictional town of "Glimmerdagg" in Sweden, which just like Berts hometown Öreskoga is located somewhere between Karlskoga-Örebro. There is Söderskolan, for the grades 1–6. The Sune books are told in the third person perspective and using the present tense and uses imperfect during flashback scenes, while Bert is told as a first person narrative.
Instead of being a typical "tough guy" who uses to fight or play soccer, Sune is more interested into girls.
The Kane Chronicles
The Kane Chronicles are a series of fantasy novels by Rick Riordan. The characters are based on Egyptian mythology. The story is set in the same universe as Riordan's "Percy Jackson & the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, The Trials of Apollo, and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard" series.
Jean Marais
Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais was a French actor and director. Marais had over 100 roles in film and on television. He was also known for writing, painting and sculpture.
In the 1950s, Marais became a star of swashbuckling films. He performed his own stunts. After 1970 he mostly worked in plays.
Backlash (2008)
Backlash (2008) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view show made by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held on April 27, 2008 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the tenth Backlash event held by the WWE.
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo (born 9 April 1933) is a French actor. He is associated with the New Wave of the 1960s.
Belmondo is a "Commandeur" of the Ordre national du Mérite He is also "Commandeur" of the Légion d'honneur.
He received a Career Achievement award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.
Kana Hanazawa
, was released in 25 April 2012. It was her first single.
GD 61
GD 61 is a white dwarf star. It is 150 light-years from Earth in the constellation Perseus.
An asteroid in the system was detected in 2013 that contains water. This was the first finding of solid or liquid water on an extrasolar body. The asteroid, the first extrasolar asteroid detected, is 26% water by mass, close to the water content of Ceres. This means that a planet, with a rocky surface similar to Earth's, may have existed in the past. The asteroid could be an artifact from this period. It is now possibly part of a debris field from that planet's breakup. Such a planet would have had both a rocky surface and water. These are two key ingredients for life. The researchers used the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope to determine what it is made of. The elements magnesium, silicon, iron and oxygen were detected. These are all components of rocky planets. However, the amount of oxygen is much higher than what was expected. There was also less carbon than expected. This meant there was one possible reason for the extra oxygen. There had to be water there.
Pilgrim of Eternity