New owl species found in Indonesia
JAKARTA: Researchers unwittingly identified a new species of owl believed to be unique to the country, raising hopes of further new bird discoveries, a scientist said on Thursday.
The brown- and- white Rinjani Scops owl was first spotted in 2003 on the island of Lombok, while researchers were looking for another nocturnal bird. It was formally identified by four scientists on Wednesday in the online Plos One journal.
Prior to that, the bird had been mistaken for the related Moluccan Scops owl, found in the Maluku islands in central Indonesia.
“Ornithologists have long patted themselves on the back, believing that the taxonomy of birds was almost complete,” researcher George Sangster from the Swedish Museum of Natu- ral History, told Agence-France Presse.
“Our study shows that even after more than 250 years of taxonomic research, we can still find new species, even of birds.”
Sangster discovered the bird days before another researcher, Ben King made the same discovery independently when both were on the island to collect sounds of large-tailed Nightjars.
They noticed the owl’s songs were “completely different” from the Moluccan Scops owl.
He said further research should be carried out on the nearby island of Sumbawa to verify if the bird was unique to Lombok.
Ornithologists have often overlooked Lombok during field work in the region, believing there were no endemic bird species there, Sangster said. Mayor Benhur Abalos of Mandaluyong City (center) shared the limelight with this year’s awardees led by Audit Chairman Grace Pulido-Tan (represented by lawyer Gilbert Quintanar, chief of staff) and Presiding Judge Andres Reyes Jr., Court of Appeals in the field of Government Service, John Dee de Guzman and Edward Isidoro (Community Service), Abellardo Apollo David Jr. (Education), Albert Michael Idioma (Arts & Culture), Jon Ebuen (Sports), Jacinto Ng (Business), Dennis Rhoniel Balan (Special Award for Person with Disability) and Jacqueline Navarro (Special Award). The award is the most prestigious honor bestowed by a city government to its citizens who have shown outstanding performance in their respective field. The awarding rites held at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club was done in observance of the 68th Liberation Day and 19th Cityhood Anniversary of Mandaluyong.