Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher (Muscicapa sodhii). Images painted by Namsiang Teo.
Scientists have confirmed a new bird species found in the tropical rainforests on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher ( Muscicapa sodhii ) lives in the forest canopy of the rugged hills of Sulawesi, and has heavily streaked underparts and relatively short wings. Ding Li Yong, a PhD student at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, was part of an international team which described the bird as a new species. "As a kid I was inspired by the great naturalists Darwin and Wallace, and the early explorers who risked their lives by leaving the comforts of Europe for the tropics to collect specimens for science," said Mr Yong. "So it was both exciting and strange to have a small association with the early naturalists." The bird was first noticed in 1997, but it did not fit with any known species. Until now it had been known informally as the undescribed Sulawesi flycatcher. It has been found to be distinct from other flycatchers with significant differences in its plumage, body structure, song and genetics.
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