Malagasy Bulbul (Hypsipetes madagascariensis) [XC882616]
by Dries Van de Loock from Mahajanga airport lake, Madagascar (call)
Malagasy Bulbul (Hypsipetes madagascariensis) [XC26410]
by Daniel Lane from Vohiparara trail, Ranomafana NP, Fianarantsoa Prov., Madagascar (song)
Subspecies
Sometimes considered to form a superspecies with all other members of genus, and in the past all have been treated as conspecific. Recent molecular analysis indicates this species and Mauritius Bulbul (Hypsipetes olivaceus) are sister-taxa. Also populations of Madagascar and Comoros (nominate subspecies) form a monophyletic group, sister to subspecies rostratus. Birds from Grande Glorieuse I described as subspecies grotei, largely on basis of putative differences in bill size and colour, but not satisfactorily distinguishable from nominate, as any slight differences appear to involve individual, not geographical, variation.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
madagascariensis (P. L. S. Müller, 1776) - Comoros (all four main islands and some islets), Glorieuse Archipelago (Grande Glorieuse I) and Madagascar.
rostratus (Ridgway, 1893) - Aldabra.
grotei (Friedmann, 1929) - Îles Glorieuses (Indian Ocean off Réunion).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet