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‘Extinct’ birds rediscovered after 73 years
Brett Smith for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
Some species are like that guy from high school who’s still back home delivering pizzas – just because you don’t see them around anyone doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
One particular species, Jerdon’s babbler in Myanmar, hadn’t been seen for 73 years until a team from the Wildlife Conservation Society stumbled upon the little bird last May.
The team was examining a site around an abandoned agricultural station in Myanmar, when they heard the bird’s distinct call. The researchers replayed a recording of the call and were treated to the first sighting of an adult Jerdon’s babbler in over seven decades. Over the next two days, the team consistently discovered Jerdon’s babblers at multiple locations in the immediate area and was able to obtain blood samples and high-resolution photos.
[STORY: Sea creature believed to be extinct rediscovered in New Zealand]
A small brown bird, about the size of a house sparrow, Jerdon’s babbler was first discovered in 1862 and its population appeared to decline throughout the 20th century, most likely due to agriculture and settlements replacing its grassland habitats. The Jerdon’s Babbler in Myanmar is currently considered one of three subspecies found in South Asia, all with subtle differences.
These guys are probably hide-and-seek champs
“The degradation of these vast grasslands had led many to consider this subspecies of Jerdon’s Babbler extinct,” said Colin Poole, Director of WCS’s Regional Conservation Hub in Singapore. “This discovery not only proves that the species still exists in Myanmar but that the habitat can still be found as well. Future work is needed to identify remaining pockets of natural grassland and develop systems for local communities to conserve and benefit from them.”
Further evaluation of DNA samples extracted from the bird by the team will be analyzed at the National University of Singapore to ascertain if Jerdon’s babbler in Myanmar should be thought of as a distinct species. If so, the species would be limited to Myanmar and be a major conservation issue due to its fragmented and endangered habitat.
“Our sound recordings indicate that there may be pronounced bioacoustic differences between the Myanmar subspecies and those further west, and genetic data may well confirm the distinctness of the Myanmar population,” said Frank Rheindt, a biology professor from the National University of Singapore.
This work that led to the bird’s rediscovery was completed as part of a more substantial study to learn the genetic makeup of Myanmar bird species and ascertain the true level of bird diversity in the country. Myanmar currently has more species of bird than every other country in mainland Southeast Asia and the number of species will probably go up as this team and others like it continue to investigate it.
[STORY: De-extinction: Are we there yet?]
The rediscovery of Jerdon’s babbler in Myanmar is just the latest in a series of ‘extinct’ species suddenly showing up. In 2009, Worcester’s buttonquail, a bird thought to be extinct, was photographed for the first time in the Philippines, before being sold as food at a market.
Researchers working in the area say they hope to spot the white-eyed river martin of Thailand, last seen in 1978, and the pink-headed duck, last seen in 1949.
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Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1113347897/extinct-birds-found-after-73-years-030615/
