25 Newly Described Neotropical Bird Species
More than 25 new birds species have been described in the neotropics since the year 2000
Roughly 10,000 known bird species live on our planet. They are a precious, finite resource and it would seem that legions of bird watchers, biologists, and naturalists have covered every inch of the Earth in hot, wondrous pursuit to catalogue every one. Being colorful, animated, and full of chatter or song, all bird species must have been discovered by now. Right?
Happily, no. Lurking in dark, deep tangles of the globe where biodiversity is rich and creatures run wild, birds are yet undiscovered. Some thrive in secret, some fight for their last survival. Yet they exist, and every so often word of a newly discovered bird species leaps across the newswires.
I recently came across a list of new species from the neotropics in the American Bird Conservancy’s (ABC) Bird Conservation magazine from Winter 2008/2009. ABC dedicated that entire holiday issue to bird conservation success stories, something near and dear to my heart and worthy of discussion and dissemination.
The following is a selection of new bird species described from the neotropics since 2000, as compiled by ABC and listed here with permission. The photo and factsheet hyperlinks are my own additions.
(I found, of course, that good photos of most are hard to come by. This begs the question: who WILL get the winning, definitive photographs of these species and when will we see them? A worthy quest, indeed…)
Scarlet-banded Barbet – Peru, 2000 (factsheet = fs)
Foothill Elaenia – Ecuador/Peru, 2000 (fs)
Caatinga Antwren – Brazil, 2000 (fs)
Chestnut-capped Piha – Colombia, 2001 (fs)
Chapada Flycatcher – Brazil, 2001 (fs)
Mishana Tyrannulet – Peru, 2001 (fs)
Johnson’s (Lulu’s) Tody-Tyrant – Peru, 2001 (fs)
Allpahuayo Antbird – Peru, 2001 (fs)
Cryptic Forest-Falcon – Brazil/Bolivia, 2002 (fs)
Bald Parrot – Brazil, 2002 (fs)
Santarem (Tui) Parakeet – Brazil/Bolivia, 2002 (fs)
Pernambuco Pygmy-Owl – Brazil, 2002 (fs)
Carrizal Seedeater – Venezuela, 2003 (fs)
Munchique Wood-Wren – Colombia, 2003 (fs)
Acre Antshrike – Brazil/Peru, 2004 (fs)
Sulphur-breasted Parakeet – Brazil, 2005 (fs)
Planalto Tapaculo – Brazil/Argentina, 2005 (fs)
Upper Magdalena Tapaculo – Colombia, 2005 (fs)
Stiles’s Tapaculo – Colombia, 2005 (fs)
Iquitos Gnatcatcher – Peru, 2005 (fs)
Gorgeted Puffleg – Colombia, 2007 (fs)
Sincorá Antwren – Brazil, 2007 (fs)
Rufous Twistwing – Peru, 2007 (fs)
Yungas Tyrannulet – Peru/Bolivia, 2008 (fs) (Could this be the unidentified species Ted Parker heard while combing the Bolivian Andes in 1989?)
Santa Marta Screech-Owl – Colombia, 2008 (fs)
Note that each of the countries listed above lies, at least in part, in the immense Amazon River basin, which supports the largest tropical rainforest in the world. I can’t say for sure whether each new species is associated with the rainforest but it would not be surprising, as new insects, plants, and other taxa are regularly being discovered in this vast wilderness.
These 25 striking and elusive birds give bird watchers hope and renew our sense of mystery of what can yet be discovered in this world if we only take time to look (or invest in those that do). And yet, these 25 are only part of the picture of our growing knowledge of the bird species of the world. We now need a companion list of birds from Asia, Africa, and Europe…
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Great article Laura and a topic close to my heart. We should maybe clarify – it is 25 species described since 2000. Many of them were found much earlier, but it took some time to get the details together to finally publish. However, the rate of new discoveries has not slowed down. In Peru for example there are a handful species one can see on birding trips that still await formal descriptions. And there are more to be found.
Of the new species on your list some have been found in the Amazon and usually associated to overlooked not typical Amazonian habitat such as forest of nutrient poor white sand soil, bamboo or isolated hill forest. Many of the others are from isolated Andean valleys.
In November I will do a birding expedition with a client to Sira Mountains in central Peru. There are two (known) endemic species here: The Sira Tanager and the soon to be split Peruvian form of Horned Curassow (aka Southern Helmeted Curassow). However, the highest peaks have not been surveyd, and we plan to get as high as possible this time on our third trip to the area. It would not be surprising to maybe find a form of Scarlet-banded Barbet here. After all the Scarlet-banded Barbet ought to have some closest relatives somewhere, and where not to look for a relative at some close by high peaks not too far as the barbet flies to the south . We shall spend 10 days in the area. Any more takers? Definitely far from the Coca Cola trail. Only us and the forest. Where do you find such place nowadays?
Gunnar, glad you chimed in with your unique South American birding perspective. Good to know the habitats that these species have been found. Your upcoming birding tour sounds fantastic.
It must be thrilling to lead a group of intense birders into the field to see birds which have not yet been described. Are the clients you speak of here on a mission to see these newly discovered species, for the sake of their newness, or are they world listers seeking new and varied means to improve the list? There’s all kinds of birders with all kinds of reasons…