Bristlebill

{{Automatic taxobox

| name = Bristlebills

| image = Flickr - Rainbirder - Grey-headed Bristlebill (Bleda canicapilla) (1) (cropped).jpg

| image_caption= Grey-headed bristlebill (Bleda canicapillus)

| taxon = Bleda

| authority = Bonaparte, 1857

| type_species = Dasycephala syndactyla
(Red-tailed bristlebill)

| type_species_authority = Swainson, 1837

| range_map = Bleda distribution map.png

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = See text

| synonyms = * Xenocichla

}}

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.

Taxonomy

The genus Bleda was introduced in 1857 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte with the red-tailed bristlebill as the type species.{{ cite journal | last=Bonaparte | first=Charles Lucien | author-link=Charles Lucien Bonaparte | year=1857 | title=Notes sur le genre Moquinus, nouvelle forme intermédiaire aux Turdides, aux Laniides et aux Muscicapides; sur le nouveau genre Myiagrien Schwaneria : et sur le Catalogue des Oiseaux d'Europe et d'Algérie | language=French | journal=Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée | series=2nd | volume=9 | pages=49–63 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13712185 |via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}} The genus was named after Bleda, elder brother of Attila and joint ruler of the Huns.{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=73 }}

=Species=

The genus contains five species:{{BioRef|IOC| family=Pycnonotidae|version=Version 10.2 |access-date=4 August 2020}}

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
class="wikitable"
125px	Red-tailed bristlebill	Bleda syndactylus	African tropical rainforest
125px	Green-tailed bristlebill	Bleda eximius	Upper Guinean forests
125px	Grey-headed bristlebill	Bleda canicapillus	Guinean Forests of West Africa
-	Yellow-lored bristlebill	Bleda notatus	Western Congolian rainforests
-	Yellow-eyed bristlebill	Bleda ugandae	Congo Basin and Uganda

=Former species=

Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Bleda:

Kakamega greenbul (as Xenocichla kakamegae){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=9144EF40&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Arizelocichla kakamegae - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-02}}
Olive-breasted greenbul (as Xenocichla kikuyuensis){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=1EEE86B87788C279|title=Arizelocichla kikuyuensis - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-04}}
Mountain greenbul (as Xenocichla nigriceps){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=FC523946&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Arizelocichla nigriceps - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-04}}
Black-browed greenbul (as Xenocichla fusciceps){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=1F66AE1E&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Arizelocichla fusciceps - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-05}}
Yellow-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla chlorigula){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=B421F18C&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Arizelocichla chlorigula - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-05}}
Stripe-cheeked greenbul (as Xenocichla milanjensis){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=8479F56E&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Arizelocichla milanjensis - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-06}}
Stripe-faced greenbul (as Xenocichla striifacies){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=E4385C2A&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Arizelocichla striifacies - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-06}}
Sjöstedt's greenbul (as Xenocichla clamans){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=C6833BA9983A6C50|title=Baeopogon clamans - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-11}}
Yellow-throated leaflove (as Xenocichla flavicollis){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=70B59173&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Atimastillas flavicollis soror - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-17}}
Uganda yellow-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla pallidigula){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=A15F77E0&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Atimastillas flavicollis flavigula (pallidigula) - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-17}}
Gabon leaflove (as Xenocichla orientalis){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=4C9E6E54&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Phyllastrephus scandens orientalis - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-04-19}}
Placid greenbul (as Xenocichla placida){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=CF1DDF4E&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Phyllastrephus placidus - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-05-03}}
Xavier's greenbul (as Xenocichla Xavieri){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=1D1C9EDA6148F2A6|title=Phyllastrephus xavieri - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-05-05}}
White-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla albigularis){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=D4CB1B8932E129AF|title=Phyllastrephus albigularis - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-05-05}}
Yellow-streaked greenbul (tenuirostris) (as Xenocichla tenuirostris){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=7C2DB7A8&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Phyllastrephus flavostriatus tenuirostris - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-05-06}}
Sharpe's greenbul (as Bleda alfredi){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=ACB92E07&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Phyllastrephus alfredi - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-05-06}}
Grey-headed greenbul (as Xenocichla poliocephala){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?avibaseid=04A5B0F90BC0EED0|title=Phyllastrephus poliocephalus - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-05-06}}
Lowland tiny greenbul (as Xenocichla debilis){{Cite web|url=http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/species.jsp?lang=EN&avibaseid=FA137697&sec=summary&ssver=1|title=Phyllastrephus debilis - Avibase|website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org|access-date=2017-05-06}}
Yellow-bearded greenbul (as Xenocichla olivacea){{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UvMZAAAAYAAJ&q=Xenocichla+olivacea&pg=PA98|title=Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum: Passeriformes, or perching birds. Cichlomorphœ: pt. III-IV, containing the ... family Timeliidœ (babbling-thrushes) by R.B. Sharpe|last=Zoology|first=British Museum (Natural History) Dept of|date=1881-01-01|publisher=order of the Trustees|language=en}}

Bristlebill

Taxonomy

=Species=

=Former species=

References

Further reading