Slender-billed Greenbul

Stelgidillas gracilirostris

Slim, long-tailed greenbul with an olive-brown back and gray underparts. When seen well, shows a red eye. Found in the canopy of humid forest. Can be found singly, in pairs, or in small groups. The most common vocalization is a long, descending whistle: “teeeiow.” The contrast between the dark upperparts and gray underparts make this a distinctive species by greenbul standards.

Taxonomy

The slender-billed greenbul was formally described in 1844 by the English naturalist Hugh Edwin Strickland under the binomial name Andropadus gracilirostris from a specimen collected on the island of Fernando Pó (now Bioko) off the west coast of Africa.<p>A molecular phylogenetic study of the bulbuls published in 2007 found that Andropadus was non-monophyletic. In the subsequent rearrangement to create monophyletic genera, the slender-billed greenbul was moved to the genus Stelgidillas that had been introduced by Harry C. Oberholser in 1899. Alternate names for the slender-billed greenbul include the Cameroon sombre greenbul and Cameroon greenbul. The latter name should not be confused with the species of the same name, Arizelocichla montana.<p>Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Stelgidillas:<p>Two subspecies of the slender-billed greenbul are recognized:

Scientific name
Stelgidillas gracilirostris
Authority
(Strickland, 1844)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Hirundinidae
Genus
Stelgidillas

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

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Odd little short-tailed and chunky-billed member of the indigobird family. The male is yellow, with dark wings and tail, while the female is brown and streaky on the back and buff on the face and underparts. Found in moist grassland and open savanna. Uncommon across its range. Indistinct song consists of short, rasping phrases. Male could be confused with canaries but has an all-black bill. Female resembles female bishops but has a shorter and thicker all-black bill.

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