Microtarsus is a genus of passerine birds in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae, that are found in South and Southeast Asia.
Taxonomy The genus Microtarsus was introduced in 1839 by the English naturalist Thomas Campbell Eyton to accommodate a single species, Microtarsus melanoleucos Eyton, the black-and-white bulbul. This is the type species. The species now placed in this genus were formerly included in the genus Pycnonotus. A molecular phylogenetic study of the bulbul family published in 2017 found that Pycnonotus was polyphyletic. In the revision to create monophyletic genera Microtarsus was resurrected to contain the black-headed bulbul that was previously placed in Pycnonotus. In 2025 AviList adopted more inclusive genera and merged Brachypodius, Euptilotus and Poliolophus into Microtarsus.
The genus contains the following seven species: Image Common name Scientific name Distribution Puff-backed bulbulMicrotarsus eutilotusMalay Peninsula, Sumatra, Bangka Island, and Borneo Black-and-white bulbulMicrotarsus melanoleucossouthern Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Siberut Island, and BorneoYellow-wattled bulbulMicrotarsus urostictusPhilippines (except Palawan group, Mindoro, most of Western Visayas and Sulu Archipelago)Grey-headed bulbulMicrotarsus priocephalussouthwestern peninsular India (southern Maharashtra and Goa to western Mysore and Kerala)Black-headed bulbulMicrotarsus melanocephaloseast Bangladesh and northeast India through south China, Vietnam, Borneo, Java and BaliAndaman bulbulMicrotarsus fuscoflavescensAndaman IslandsBlue-wattled bulbulMicrotarsus nieuwenhuisiiSumatra and Borneo
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