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Sunday, January 12, 2020

Ten new birds in one swoop

Discovery of a new bird is a big event. It only happens three or four times a year.  An expedition returning with 10 new birds - five species and five subspecies - is unheard of in modern times.

But it just happened.

OK, not "just." It takes years to formally describe a new species.  The expedition was in 2013, but scientists kept pretty quiet about it (amazingly so, really) until a publication in the msot prestigious American science journal, Science.  
We have, from islands off the east coast of Sulawesi in Indonesia:

Species:

Taliabu Grasshopper-Warbler
Taliabu Myzomela
Taliabu Leaf-Warbler
Peleng Leaf-Warbler
Peleng Fantail

Subspecies:

Togian Jungle-Flycatcher
Banggai Mountain Leaftoiler
Taliabu Snowy-browed Flycatcher
Taliabu Island Thrush
Sula Mountain Leaftoiler.  

Scientists attributed much of the success of the six-week expedition to preparation and study before they got ther. They studied the land connections of prehistoric times, looking at which islands had been part of the same landmass (or not), plus information from collector from past centuries including Alfred Russell Wallace. 
Amazing.
The lesson: yes, there are still new species to find, and not just bugs. It's still a big world out there.  





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