Shelley's greenbul
| Shelley's greenbul | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Pycnonotidae |
| Genus: | Arizelocichla |
| Species: | A. masukuensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Arizelocichla masukuensis (Shelley, 1897) | |
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| Range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Shelley's greenbul (Arizelocichla masukuensis) or Shelley's bulbul, is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found in east-central Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Taxonomy
Shelley's greenbul was formally described in 1897 by the English ornithologist George Ernest Shelley based on specimens collected by the naturalist Alexander Whyte in the Misuku Hills of northern Malawi. Shelley placed the greenbul in the genus Andropadus and coined the binomial name Andropadus masukuensis where the specific epithet is from the type locality.[2][3][4] Shelley's greenbul is now one of ten species placed in the genus Arizelocichla that was introduced in 1905 by the American ornithologist Harry C. Oberholser.[5][6]
Four subspecies are recognised:[5]
- A. m. kakamegae (Sharpe, RB, 1900) – eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to Uganda, western Kenya (Kakamega Forest), and western Tanzania
- A. m. kungwensis Moreau, RE, 1941 – western Tanzania (Mount Rungwe or Mount Kungwe area)
- A. m. roehli (Reichenow, A, 1905) – highlands of eastern Tanzania
- A. m. masukuensis (Shelley, GE, 1897) – southwestern Tanzania (Rungwe Mountains) to northern Malawi (Masuku Mountains)
The subspecies A. m. kakamegae and A. m. kungwensis have sometimes been considered as a separate species, the Kakamega greenbul.[7] Although mitochondrial DNA studies have revealed some genetic divergence,[8][9] the plumage differences are small and the vocal differences have not been studied.[5]
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2017). "Arizelocichla masukuensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T22712760A111069329. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22712760A111069329.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ↑ Shelley, George Ernest (1897). "On the birds collected by Mr. Alexander Whyte, F.Z.S., during his expedition to the Nyika Plateau in North Nyasaland". Ibis: 518-554 [534]. Article includes an introduction by P.L. Sclater.
- ↑ Mayr, Ernst; Greenway, James C. Jr, eds. (1960). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 9. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 251.
- ↑ Jobling, James A. "masukuensis". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 AviList Core Team (2025). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025". doi:10.2173/avilist.v2025. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Jobling, James A. "masukuensis". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (February 2025). "Bulbuls". IOC World Bird List Version 15.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Shakya, S.B.; Sheldon, F.H. (2017). "The phylogeny of the world's bulbuls (Pycnonotidae) inferred using a supermatrix approach". Ibis. 159 (3): 498–509. doi:10.1111/ibi.12464.
- ↑ De Santis, V.; Mwinami, T.; Chesire, D.; Musina, J.; Zaccara, S.; Kioko, E.; Owino, J.J.; Oduma, J.A.; Ayiemba, W.; Harper, D.M.; Crosa, G. (2018). "Molecular pilot study on peripheral populations of Kenyan greenbul in an afromontane fragmented forest". African Journal of Ecology. 56 (3): 610–619. doi:10.1111/aje.12508.
