New Bird Discovered in Andean Cloud Forest in Columbia

By Linda Orlando

Columbia has been regarded as a birdwatcher?s paradise for decades, simply because it's house to over 1,800 distinct species of birds. Bird watching is actually a risky hobby within the region as a result of the civil war that has raged inside the country for over 4 decades. But researchers still travel there to discover, and on Monday it was announced that their persistence has paid off?one more species of bird has been discovered.

The little colorful bird, concerning the size of a fist, has been dubbed the Yariguies brush-finch, named for the indigenous tribe that as soon as inhabited the mountains exactly where it was discovered. The tribe committed mass suicide as an alternative to submitting to Spanish colonial rule. The Yariguies brush-finch has a bright yellow and red crown, and might be distinguished from its closest relative?the yellow-breasted brush finch?by its solid black back and also the lack of white marks on its wings.

"There are about two to 3 new birds identified within the globe each year," mentioned Thomas Donegan, a British scientist who was 1 with the two researchers who discovered the bird in January 2004. Donegan told The Related Press on Monday, "It's a quite rare event." 1 with the two birds caught by the duo was released unharmed following getting photographed and having DNA samples taken. The second died in captivity. Donegan mentioned that this was 1 with the initial times researchers had been able to confirm the existence of a brand new bird without having 1st having to kill it.

To reach the isolated habitat exactly where the bird was discovered, Donegan and his Columbian investigation partner Blanca Huertas created typical hikes 12 hours into the dense jungle region, relying on helicopters to drop off supplies for them periodically upon mountain peaks. "We initial went to Yariguies about 3 years ago," Donegan mentioned. "It's an enormous patch of isolated forest that nobody knew about, not even in Colombia."

Camila Gomez, with the Columbia conservation group ProAves, told reporters, "The bird was discovered in what exactly is the last remnants of cloud forest in that region. You'll find still a lot of undiscovered flora and fauna species that live inside the region."

Conservationists are quite excited by the discovery with the new bird, since the researchers who discovered it in January regarded as the bird close to getting threatened, and determined that it wants close monitoring to avoid it from becoming endangered. As a result, the Columbian government has decided to set aside 500 acres with the pristine cloud forest in Columbia?s eastern Andean range, exactly where the Yariguies finch lives. The region will turn into a national park.