Bleda

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Classis: Aves
Subclassis: Carinatae
Infraclassis: Neornithes
Parvclassis: Neognathae
Ordo: Passeriformes
Subordo: Passeri
Parvordo: Passerida
Superfamilia: Sylvioidea
Familia: Pycnonotidae
Genus: Bleda
Species: B. canicapillus - B. eximius - B. notatus - B. syndactylus

Name

Bleda Bonaparte, 1857

Reference

Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliqué (2) 9 p.50

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.[1] The genus was named after Bleda, elder brother of Attila and joint ruler of the Huns.[2]
Species

The genus contains five species:[3]

Red-tailed bristlebill (Bleda syndactylus)
Green-tailed bristlebill (Bleda eximius)
Grey-headed bristlebill (Bleda canicapillus)
Yellow-lored bristlebill (Bleda notatus)
Yellow-eyed bristlebill (Bleda ugandae)

Former species

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

Kakamega greenbul (as Xenocichla kakamegae)[4]
Olive-breasted greenbul (as Xenocichla kikuyuensis)[5]
Mountain greenbul (as Xenocichla nigriceps)[6]
Black-browed greenbul (as Xenocichla fusciceps)[7]
Yellow-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla chlorigula)[8]
Stripe-cheeked greenbul (as Xenocichla milanjensis)[9]
Stripe-faced greenbul (as Xenocichla striifacies)[10]
Sjöstedt's greenbul (as Xenocichla clamans)[11]
Yellow-throated leaflove (as Xenocichla flavicollis)[12]
Uganda yellow-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla pallidigula)[13]
Gabon leaflove (as Xenocichla orientalis)[14]
Placid greenbul (as Xenocichla placida)[15]
Xavier's greenbul (as Xenocichla Xavieri)[16]
White-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla albigularis)[17]
Yellow-streaked greenbul (tenuirostris) (as Xenocichla tenuirostris)[18]
Sharpe's greenbul (as Bleda alfredi)[19]
Grey-headed greenbul (as Xenocichla poliocephala)[20]
Lowland tiny greenbul (as Xenocichla debilis)[21]
Yellow-bearded greenbul (as Xenocichla olivacea)[22]

References

African Bird club (2006) ABC African Checklist: Passerines Accessed 31/07/07.
Serle, W.; Morel G.J. & Hartwig, W. (1977) Collins Field Guide: Birds of West Africa, HarperCollins.
Sinclair, Ian & Ryan, Peter (2003) Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, Struik, Cape Town.

Notes

Bonaparte, Charles Lucien (1857). "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". Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée. 2nd (in French). 9: 49–73 [50].
Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (eds.). "Family Pycnonotidae". IOC World Bird List. Version 10.2. International Ornithological Congress. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
"Arizelocichla kakamegae - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-02.
"Arizelocichla kikuyuensis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
"Arizelocichla nigriceps - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
"Arizelocichla fusciceps - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
"Arizelocichla chlorigula - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
"Arizelocichla milanjensis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
"Arizelocichla striifacies - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
"Baeopogon clamans - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-11.
"Atimastillas flavicollis soror - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
"Atimastillas flavicollis flavigula (pallidigula) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
"Phyllastrephus scandens orientalis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
"Phyllastrephus placidus - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
"Phyllastrephus xavieri - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
"Phyllastrephus albigularis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-05-05.
"Phyllastrephus flavostriatus tenuirostris - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
"Phyllastrephus alfredi - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
"Phyllastrephus poliocephalus - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
"Phyllastrephus debilis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
Zoology, British Museum (Natural History) Dept of (1881-01-01). 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. order of the Trustees.