” Otus” is the generic name offered to a group of small owls sharing a common history, commonly called scops-owls. They are discovered across Eurasia and Africa and consist of such extensive types as the Eurasian Scops-Owl (Otus scops) and the African Scops-Owl (Otus senegalensis).
The researchers behind the discovery even more describe that the species epithet “bikegila” was picked in homage to Ceciliano do Bom Jesus, nicknamed Bikegila– a previous parrot harvester from Príncipe Island and now a ranger of its natural park.
” The discovery of the Principe Scops-Owl was only possible thanks to the local understanding shared by Bikegila and by his unflinching efforts to resolve this veteran mystery,” the scientists state. “As such, the name is likewise meant as a recommendation to all locally-based field assistants who are important beforehand the understanding on the biodiversity of the world.”
Otus bikegila. Credit: Martim Melo
In the wild, the most convenient way to recognize one would be its special call– in fact, it was one of the primary hints resulting in its discovery.
” Otus bikegilas special call is a short “tuu” note repeated at a quick rate of about one note per 2nd, similar to insect calls. It is frequently produced in duets, practically as quickly as the night has fallen,” Martim Melo explains.
Otus bikegila. Credit: Philippe Verbelen
The whole Principe Island was thoroughly surveyed to determine the circulation and population size of the new species. Results, released in the journal Bird Conservation International, reveal that the Principe Scops-Owl is found only in the staying old-growth native forest of Príncipe in the uninhabited southern part of the island.
Otus bikegila. Credit: Martim Melo
Since all individuals of the types happen in this very little and single area (of which a part will be affected in the near future by the building of a little hydro-electric dam), researchers have actually proposed that the species must be categorized as Critically Endangered, the greatest danger level on the IUCN Red List. This suggestion must still be examined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Keeping track of the population will be necessary to get more accurate price quotes of its size and follow its trends. For this purpose, a study procedure relying on the release of automatic recording units and AI to retrieve the data from these has actually been developed and effectively checked.
” The discovery of a new species that is instantly evaluated as highly threatened shows well the existing biodiversity predicament”, the scientists say. “On a favorable note, the area of occurrence of the Principe Scops-Owl is fully consisted of within the Príncipe Obô Natural Park, which will ideally help secure its security.”
This is the eighth known species of bird endemic to Príncipe, further highlighting the abnormally high level of bird endemism for this island of just 139 km2.
Although a new types of scops-owl was simply described from Príncipe, genetic data showed that the island was, surprisingly, likely the first in the Gulf of Guinea to be colonized by a species of scops-owl.
Martim Melo and Bikegila with an owl. Credit: Bárbara Freitas
” Although it might appear odd for a bird species to remain undiscovered for science for so long on such a little island, this is by no indicates an isolated case when it concerns owls,” the scientists state. “For example, the Anjouan Scops-Owl was found in 1992, 106 years after its last observation, on Anjouan Island (likewise referred to as Ndzuani) in the Comoro Archipelago, and the Flores Scops-Owl was discovered in 1994, 98 years after the previous report.”
” The discovery of a new bird types is always an event to celebrate and a chance to connect to the public on the topic of biodiversity,” states Martim Melo. “In this age of human-driven extinction, a major worldwide effort needs to be undertaken to record what may soon not be anymore,” he and his team state in their paper.
An aerial photo of south Principe. Credit: Alexandre Vaz
” Birds are likely the best-studied animal group. As such, the discovery of a new bird types in the 21st century underscores both the truth of field-based expeditions aiming at describing biodiversity, and how such curiosity-driven endeavor is more likely to be successful when combined with local eco-friendly understanding, the involvement of keen amateur biologists, and persistence,” they include.
They believe that this “new age of exploration, performed by amateurs and experts alike,” will assist revive the link to the natural world, which will be necessary to help go back the international biodiversity crisis.
Referral: “A brand-new types of scops-owl (Aves, Strigiformes, Strigidae, Otus) from Príncipe Island (Gulf of Guinea, Africa) and novel insights into the methodical affinities within Otus” by Martim Melo, Bárbara Freitas, Philippe Verbelen, Sátiro R. da Costa, Hugo Pereira, Jérôme Fuchs, George Sangster, Marco N. Correia, Ricardo F. de Lima and Angelica Crottini, 30 October 2022, ZooKeys.DOI: 10.3897/ zookeys.1126.87635.
A new species of owl has just been described from Príncipe Island, an island lying off the west coast of Central Africa that is part of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. Suspicions of its event gained traction back in 1998, and statements from local individuals recommend that its existence might be traced back as far as 1928.
The entire Principe Island was thoroughly surveyed to determine the circulation and population size of the brand-new species. Results, published in the journal Bird Conservation International, reveal that the Principe Scops-Owl is found just in the staying old-growth native forest of Príncipe in the unoccupied southern part of the island. In this small area (about 4 times the size of Central Park), the densities of the owl are fairly high, with the population approximated at around 1000-1500 people.
Otus bikegila. Credit: Martim Melo
A new types of owl has just been explained from Príncipe Island, an island lying off the west coast of Central Africa that becomes part of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. Scientists were first able to verify its existence in 2016. However, suspicions of its occurrence got traction back in 1998, and statements from local individuals recommend that its existence might be traced back as far as 1928.
An illustration of Otus bikegila. Credit: Marco Correia
The new owl species was explained in a paper published on October 30 in the open-access journal ZooKeys based upon numerous lines of proof such as morphology, plumage color and pattern, vocalizations, and genes. Data was collected and processed by an international group led by Martim Melo (CIBIO and Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto), Bárbara Freitas (CIBIO and the Spanish National Museum of Natural Sciences), and Angelica Crottini (CIBIO).
The bird is now formally referred to as the Principe Scops-Owl, or Otus bikegila.
