Comments on: 25 Newly Described Neotropical Bird Species http://laurakammermeier.com/2009/07/25-newneotropical-bird-species/ Birds, Words, & Websites Wed, 09 May 2012 11:55:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Laura http://laurakammermeier.com/2009/07/25-newneotropical-bird-species/comment-page-1/#comment-231 Laura Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:17:28 +0000 http://laurakammermeier.com/?p=2278#comment-231 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... 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…

]]> By: Gunnar Engblom http://laurakammermeier.com/2009/07/25-newneotropical-bird-species/comment-page-1/#comment-229 Gunnar Engblom Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:52:10 +0000 http://laurakammermeier.com/?p=2278#comment-229 Great article Laura and a topic close to my heart. We should maybe clarify - it is 25 species <b>described</b> 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? 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?

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