Nicobar Bulbul

Hypsipetes nicobariensis
Ixocincla virescens

Found only on the Nicobar Islands of India, the Nicobar Bulbul is a songbird species in the bulbul family (Pycnonotidae). Its scientific name is Ixos virescens as long as Ixos is recognized as a distinct genus.

Some sources merge Ixos into Hypsipetes, probably based on the major taxonomic error committed in the Sibley taxonomy, where I. virescens – the type species of Ixos – was placed in Hypsipetes. In these works, H. virescens refers to the Sunda Bulbul (properly I. virescens), whose senior homonym was already established by Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1825, whereas Edward Blyth gave the specific name virescens to the Nicobar Bulbul only in 1845. Thus, the Nicobar Bulbul is often known under the junior synonym Hypsipetes nicobariensis, although this name is not legitimate: it would properly be Ixos nicobariensis if the genera are merged, because Hypsipetes was established after Ixos.