Taxonomy and Systematics
The species was described by Thomas Jerdon under the name of Brachypus priocephalus but said to have been "emended" in error by Edward Blyth to Brachypodius poiocephalus and the confusion carried forward in literature.
The call is distinct in having a single syllable unlike those of the core Pycnonotus genus members. The genus Pycnonotus as currently defined has been identified as polyphyletic and the genus placement for this species may change in the future. This species has not been used in recent molecular phylogeny studies of the group.
Read more about this topic: Grey-headed Bulbul