Ornithologists in Madagascar managed to find a lost species of bird. The Madagascar dusky (Xanthomixis tenebrosa) was last seen in 1999, and scientists began to fear that the birds were extinct. It turns out, however, that small animals could simply hide well.
Animal observation is not an easy job. Small size, camouflaging color or the fact that they inhabit hard-to-reach habitats – all these factors mean that many species can effectively hide from our sight. One of them was the dark Madagascar (Xanthomixis tenebrosa) – a small singing bird from the warbler family. In 2022, scientists from the environmental organization The Peregrine Fund made an attempt to find this lost species.
In search of birds
The dark Madagascar is a species endemic to Madagascar, occurring only near the town of Andapa. To track down its presence, scientists in December 2022 had to travel for more than 40 hours and then climb a steep overhang in a dense forest. The last time ornithologists visited this place was in 1999, and that was the last sighting of a rare species that has since been considered lost.
When the team arrived, they found that much of the forest had been destroyed and turned into vanilla plantations, even though the area is officially protected. Initially, the observations gave no results. Only after many days on January 1, 2023, researchers managed to spot a single individual. The bird was hopping in the dense forest undergrowth near the rocky riverbank, most likely in search of tasty larvae.
“If Madagascar dusky warblers prefer areas near rivers, that explains why they were so hard to find,” said John C. Mittermeier of the American Bird Conservancy, who was on the expedition. “Looking for birds in tropical forests is all about listening for bird calls, so we usually avoid spending time near rushing rivers where you can’t hear anything,” he added.
Dark Madagascar (Xanthomixis tenebrosa)John C Mittermeier
Dark Madagascar (Xanthomixis tenebrosa)John C Mittermeier
A little bird in a big forest
On the last day of the expedition, January 2, the team managed to capture one individual with a net. The researchers measured the animal and examined it before releasing it into the wild. The updated description of the species’ characteristics will be valuable for future research expeditions – the dark Madagascar warbler is a relatively poorly known bird, often confused with its more common cousins.
Lily-Arison Rene de Roland, who led the research expedition, explained that the team plans to return to the research site between September and October, when most birds in Madagascar are in the mating season. Researchers want to better understand the abundance and distribution of the species, and the extent to which the loss of the rainforest can affect its survival.
“Now that we have found it again and have a better understanding of its habitat, we can search for it in other parts of Madagascar and learn more about its ecology and biology.” When it comes to biodiversity in Madagascar, there is still a lot to discover, adds Rene de Roland.
You can listen to how the dark madagascarnicus sings in the recording below:
Dark Madagascar discovered after 24 yearsJohn C Mittermeier
The Peregrine Fund, BBC, tvnmeteo.pl
Main photo source: John C Mittermeier