New owl species found on remote Indonesian island
Date: 04-Sep-02
Country: AUSTRALIA
Jerry Olsen of the University of Canberra's Applied Ecology Research Group and co-researcher Susan Trost said the new species, Little Sumba Hawk-Owl, could be endangered but further studies were needed to determine its conservation status.
Ornithologists have debated for several years the existence of a previously unknown species on the island of Sumba. Some speculated an unknown owl sighted on the island was most likely the common large Sumba Boobook Owl, or the Flores Scops Owl.
But Olsen and Trost travelled to the island chain in 2001 to find out.
"Given all the scientific conjecture which has been going on for years about the identity of this little bird, and the dangers associated with mounting an expedition to Sumba, we got a bit of a thrill out of being the ones to finally put the mystery to rest," Olsen said in a statement.
The "dangers" he referred to included local mistrust of visiting Caucasians, a suspicion that dates back to the days of Dutch slave traders who raided the islands, and a local belief that the spirits of the ancestors live on in owls.
"It is still a remarkably isolated part of the world and it is highly likely that a number of new species of bird will be found in Wallacea as more researchers begin to access it," Olsen said.
Their findings are published in the latest edition of the journal EMU: Austral Ornithology, a publication of the government-funded Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
