A team of scientists from the Swedish Museum of Natural History has described a new species of nightjar that lives in the tropical forests of Timor Island and Wetar in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago.
Nightjar It is a medium-sized, nocturnal, enterophagous bird belonging to the family. Caprimulgidae And the order Black-tailed Gulls.
These birds are found all over the world, except Antarctica and certain island groups such as the Seychelles.
Nightjars have long wings, short legs and a very short beak and usually catch flying insects at night. During the day they sleep on the ground or usually perched upright on a branch.
“Nightjars are one of the most difficult birds to study because of their discreet nocturnal behaviour and inconspicuous plumage,” said lead author Dr George Sangster and his colleagues.
In their study, the authors: Caprimargus maculus Complex.
This species complex is found from Pakistan to Australia and consists of six morphologically similar species with distinct calls.
“Field surveys on Timor Island and on Wetar Island in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago have revealed a seventh species in the complex, which we call a new species,” the researchers said.
“This species has Caprimargus maculus, Caprimargus selebensis and Caprimargus manilensis However, this species differs from these and all other species in this complex in at least 13 vocal traits.”
Named Caprimargus ritae Like the Timor nightjar or the Timor nightjar, this new species is not found in any other part of its range. Caprimargus maculus Complex.
This bird is a forest specialist and has been recorded in a wide range of tropical forests, from tall evergreen forests to dry deciduous forests, mainly at altitudes below 1,000 metres, with one record from 1,500 metres above sea level.
“Caprimargus ritae “This is the fourth bird species known to be endemic to both Timor and Wetar islands,” the scientists said.
“Other species include the Timorese giant pigeon (Ducula cineracea), Wetal ground pigeon (Pumps Sana Gallicorumba Howety) and Rainbow lorikeet (Saudareos Iris)
“Six species found on Timor and Wetar are only found on Atauro, Roti and Semau islands. Caprimargus ritae This is also true for several other bird species.”
“Wetar is closer to Timor (51km) than Alor (76km). The exclave of Atauro island is just 23km from Timor and 21km from Wetar.”
” Cyt b The Timor and Wetar sequence shows the colonization of Timor to Wetar, or vice versa probably quite recently.”
of study Published in the journal Ibis.
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Ben F. King others A new species of nightjar (Capri Margos) from Timor and Wetar, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and Wallacea. Ibis Published online June 24, 2024, doi: 10.1111/ibi.13340
Source: www.sci.news
