http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2007/03/
acrocephalus_orinus_rediscovery.html
Indian warbler “lost” for 139 years makes spectacular return—in
Thailand and the UK
07-03-2007
Ornithologists across the world are celebrating with the news that a
wetland bird that has eluded scientists ever since its discovery in
India in 1867 has been refound. Twice.
The Large-billed Reed-warbler is the world’s least known bird. A single
bird was collected in the Sutlej Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India, in
1867, but many had questioned whether it was indeed represented a true
species and wasn’t just an aberrant individual of a common species.
But on 27 March 2006, ornithologist Philip Round, Assistant Professor
in the Department of Biology, Mahidol University, was bird ringing
(banding) at a wastewater treatment centre (the royally initiated Laem
Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project) near Bangkok,
Thailand.
“Although reed-warblers are generally drab and look very similar, one
of the birds I caught that morning struck me as very odd, something
about it didn’t quite add up; it had a long beak and short wings,” said
Round. “Then, it dawned on me—I was probably holding a Large-billed
Reed-warbler. I was dumbstruck, it felt as if I was holding a living
dodo.”
“I knew it was essential to get cast-iron proof of its identity. I took
many photographs, and carefully collected two feathers for DNA
analysis, so as not to harm the bird.”
Round contacted Professor Staffan Bensch, from Lund University, Sweden,
who had previously examined the Indian specimen and confirmed it did
represent a valid species. He examined photographs and DNA of the Thai
bird and confirmed the two were the same species.
"A priority now is to find out where the Large-billed Reed-warbler’s
main population lives, whether it is threatened, and if so, how these
threats can be addressed.” —Dr Stuart Butchart , BirdLife International
“This rediscovery of the Large-billed Reed-warbler on the shores of
Inner Gulf of Thailand (a BirdLife Important Bird Area, IBA)
illustrates the importance of wetland habitats and the remarkable
biodiversity they are home to,” said Ms Kritsana Kaewplang, BCST
Director. “It also demonstrates the contribution of routine monitoring
and ringing of migratory birds at even well-known sites.”
“This remarkable discovery gives Indian ornithologists an added
incentive to continue our search for the Large-billed Reed-warbler in
India,” said Dr Asad Rahmani, Director of the Bombay Natural History
Society. “Like the discovery of Bugun Liocichla last year in Arunachal
Pradesh, it shows us just how much we still have to learn about our
remarkable avifauna.”
BirdLife International’s Dr Stuart Butchart, commented: “Almost nothing
is known about this mysterious bird. The Indian specimen has short,
round wings and we speculated it is resident or short-distance migrant,
so its appearance in Thailand is very surprising. A priority now is to
find out where the Large-billed Reed-warbler’s main population lives,
whether it is threatened, and if so, how these threats can be
addressed.”
But, in a further twist to this remarkable tale, six months after the
rediscovery, another Large-billed Reed-warbler specimen was discovered
in the collection of the Natural History Museum at Tring, in a drawer
of Blyth’s Reed-warblers ( Acrocephalus dumetorum ) collected in India
during the 19th Century. Once again, Professor Staffan Bensch confirmed
the identification using DNA.
“Finding one Large-billed Reed-warbler after 139 years was remarkable,
finding a second—right under ornithologists’ noses for that length of
time—is nothing short of a miracle,” said Butchart.
The second specimen is from a different part of India and is bound to
fuel debate as to the whereabouts of more Large-billed Reed-warblers.
“Now people are aware Large-billed Reed-warblers are out there, we can
expect someone to discover the breeding grounds before long. Myanmar or
Bangladesh are strong possibilities, but this species has proved so
elusive that it could produce yet another surprise,” said Butchart.
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