A bird thought to be extinct for nearly two centuries have been accidentally rediscovered in the forests of Borneo by two locals. The black-browed babbler (Malacocincla perspicillata) has been first discovered in 1840 by Charles Lucien Bonaparte – nephew of the famous Napolean Bonaparte. However, that has been the first and also the last sight of the tiny bird. Well, until now!
It’s been almost 200 years since the last documented record of the Black-browed Babbler. This species was thought to be lost until last year, when community members in Borneo found it by chance! Conservation efforts are now underway to protect this bird. https://t.co/1WXlNlU6pg pic.twitter.com/s4qcRsYx9x
— American Bird Conservancy (@ABCbirds) February 25, 2021
On October last year, Muhammad Suranto and Muhammad Rizky Fauzan spotted this tiny bird they never seen before in the South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Since the little creature looked very unfamiliar for both of them, the men took some of photos of it and then released it back in the forest. Later when they showed the photos to some bird experts, they were surprised to learn they came across a species the whole world thought to be extinct.
“It feels surreal to know that we have found a species of bird presumed by experts to be extinct,” Fauzan said. “We didn’t expect it to be that special at all – we thought it was just another bird that we simply have never seen before.”
Bird experts compared the photos with the only specimen of the bird, collected during Napoleon’s expedition, The Guardian reports. Even though there might be some little differences, the researchers are 100% it is the Malacocincla perspicillata.
The black-browed babbler of Borneo is back after being “missing” for 170+ years.
Little is known about the bird species, which has earned a distinctive title as “the biggest enigma in Indonesian ornithology.”
(📷: Muhammad Suranto and Muhammad Rizky Fauzan) pic.twitter.com/nJT6uweawC
— AJ+ (@ajplus) February 26, 2021
This sensational finding confirms that the black-browed babbler comes from south-eastern Borneo, ending the century-long confusion about its origins,” Panji Gusti Akbar, member of the Indonesian ornithological group Birdpacker told The Guardian. “The photographed bird showed several differences from the only known specimen, specifically the colour of the iris, bill and leg.”
Source THE GUARDIAN