The genus Pycnonotus was introduced by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie in 1826 with the Cape bulbul as the type species.[1] The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek words puknos "thick" or "compact" and -nōtos "-backed".[2]
In previous circumscriptions the genus Pycnonotus was considerably larger. Recent taxonomic revisions have seen many species transferred to other genera.
In 2010, eighteen former Pycnonotus species were reclassified into different genera, either directly from Pycnonotus or from the genus Andropadus, to which they had already been transferred by some authorities. These changes were as follows:
^Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 325. ISBN978-1-4081-2501-4.
^ abcGill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (February 2025). "Bulbuls". IOC World Bird List Version 15.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
^Fuchs, Jérôme; Pasquet, Eric; Stuart, Bryan L.; Woxvold, Iain A.; Duckworth, J. W.; Bowie, Rauri C. K. (2018). "Phylogenetic affinities of the enigmatic Bare-faced Bulbul Pycnonotus hualon with description of a new genus". Ibis. 160 (3): 659–665. doi:10.1111/ibi.12580. ISSN1474-919X.