Iole (bird)


Iole is a genus of songbirds in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. They are native to tropical eastern Asia, from India to China and south through Southeast Asia to northern Indonesia.

Taxonomy and systematics

Some older sources merge this genus into Hypsipetes; however, molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that these two lineages are not each other's closest relative.

Extant species

The following seven species are currently recognized:
ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
-Finsch's bulbulIole finschiiMalesia
Sulphur-bellied bulbulIole palawanensisPalawan
-Olive bulbulIole viridescensNortheast India and western Indochina
Buff-vented bulbulIole cryptaThailand, Malay peninsula and Sumatra
Charlotte's bulbulIole charlottaeBorneo
-Cachar bulbulIole cacharensisNortheast India and Bangladesh
Grey-eyed bulbulIole propinquaIndochina and adjacent southern China

Former species

Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species as species within the genus Iole: