Bristlebill

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. The genus was named after Bleda, elder brother of Attila and joint ruler of the Huns.

Species
The genus contains five species:
 * 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)
 * Olive-breasted greenbul (as Xenocichla kikuyuensis)
 * Mountain greenbul (as Xenocichla nigriceps)
 * Black-browed greenbul (as Xenocichla fusciceps)
 * Yellow-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla chlorigula)
 * Stripe-cheeked greenbul (as Xenocichla milanjensis)
 * Stripe-faced greenbul (as Xenocichla striifacies)
 * Sjöstedt's greenbul (as Xenocichla clamans)
 * Yellow-throated leaflove (as Xenocichla flavicollis)
 * Uganda yellow-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla pallidigula)
 * Gabon leaflove (as Xenocichla orientalis)
 * Placid greenbul (as Xenocichla placida)
 * Xavier's greenbul (as Xenocichla Xavieri)
 * White-throated greenbul (as Xenocichla albigularis)
 * Yellow-streaked greenbul (tenuirostris) (as Xenocichla tenuirostris)
 * Sharpe's greenbul (as Bleda alfredi)
 * Grey-headed greenbul (as Xenocichla poliocephala)
 * Lowland tiny greenbul (as Xenocichla debilis)
 * Yellow-bearded greenbul (as Xenocichla olivacea)