Eastern Mountain Greenbul (Andropadus nigriceps) - HBW 10, p. 198

Taxonomy: Xenocichla nigriceps Shelley, 1889, Mount Kilimanjaro, 6000 feet [c. 1830 m], Tanzania.
Genus formerly submerged in Pycnonotus. Often treated as forming a superspecies with, or conspecific with, A. tephrolaemus, but differs in plumage and, especially, voice; recent studies, however, indicate that latter is more closely allied with A. masukuensis, race kungwensis of which was originally described under A. tephrolaemus (then considered conspecific with present species). Race chlorigula sometimes considered a separate species. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that N races (nominate, kikuyuensis, usambarae) form a clade only rather distantly related to S forms (chlorigula, neumanni, fusciceps) and, further, that relationships within latter group may not be very close; in addition, of the forms tested, the N races appeared to be more closely related to A. milanjensis (of race striifacies) than to S races of present species, although support for this relationship was not statistically significant. These findings, different from those inferred from morphological studies, have resulted in proposals for elevation of some or, indeed, all races to species level; the case for such treatment, however, not yet proven, and vocal differences between at least some of the races are small; more studies required. Six subspecies recognized.