Global News - August 2008

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Biologists identify new African bird species

Mon 18 August 2008 14:00 UK — Africa,Birds

Biologists from the US have confirmed that a bird they first observed in 2001 in the west African nation of Gabon is actually a new species.

Writing in the journal Zootaxa, the team from the Smithsonian Institution in the US explained that they initially thought the bird they observed was an immature individual of an already-recognised species.

However, further study determined that the bird was actually from a completely new species, which they have dubbed the olive-backed forest robin (Stiphrornis pyrrholaemus).

"I suspected something when I found the first bird in Gabon since it didn't exactly match any of the species descriptions in the field guides," explained research ornithologist Brian Schmidt.

"Once I was able to compare them side by side to other specimens in our collections it was clear that these birds were special. You, of course, have to be cautious, but I was still very excited at the prospect of possibly having found a new species of bird."

The discovery brings the number of known bird species in Gabon up to 753. However, the scientists stressed that they knew very little about the olive-backed forest robin's habits.

This means that it is still unclear how many of the birds survive in the wild and if measures are needed to protect them.

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