New species of Antbird discovered in Peru
Last July a new species of Antbird was discovered in Peru by Josh Beck. The bird has been seen on a few subsequent occasions, including by Gunnar Engblom of Kolibri Expeditions. We have a few extracts from his blog about the tale of this fantastic discovery.
Gunnar says:
"Peru never ceases to come up with surprises. A new Antbird species was discovered in July last year by Josh Beck near the spot for Scarlet-banded Barbet, less than a kilometer from the village of Flor de Café, aka Plataforma. The Antbird is completely terrestrial and very similar to the Ferruginous-backed Antbird (Myrmeciza ferruginea) of Venezuela and the Guyanas."
He goes on to give a bit of background:
"In 1995 on a remote peak of the Cordillera Azul a new, remarkable and beautiful Barbet was found during a Lousiana State University (LSU) expedition. The Scarlet-banded Barbet was described to science in 2000. While there certainly was a lot of interest by birders to try to mount an expedition to see the species, very few actually could endure the hardship involved. One needed to set off a full 9-10 days up the Cushabatay river to see the bird and it included a very difficult and steep two day hike up the hill known as Peak 1538 (standing 1538 meter tall) to get to the only area where the bird was known from. Other expeditions into Cordillera Azul, had not produced any sightings.
A few years ago Todd Mark explored a road that lead in towards a settlement called Plataforma on the outskirts of what had now become Cordillera Azul National Park. The road had been built to supply a drilling platform that was later abandoned. The road remained and land squatters have moved in."
Gunnar details that it is a terrible road but he also continues:
"When Josh Beck contacted me to see if there was a cheaper way to visit the area, I let him know that he certainly could not get there in his sturdy 4WD van, but could perhaps hitch a ride with the trucks taking supplies, for much less. The problem would be getting back to Bellavista. Trucks are often not there for several days.
Josh didn’t mind. His epic Central and South America overland trip had already been three years in duration, and he was in no hurry. Besides, there were many other good birds recorded at Plataforma apart from the Scarlet-banded Barbet.
One day Josh decided to explore a trail further, continuing past the traditional spot for the Scarlet-banded Barbet into the more intact foothill forests. The forest here was in much better condition, with much less deforestation than in the area where the Barbet was usually seen.
The trail goes through tall forest with relatively open but very dark understory. It was here Josh heard a clear, very distinct, easily imitable descending whistle. Even though Josh knew the songs of all the Antbird species in this area, this unique call was not one he had heard before.
He made a recording and after some playback of the same, a terrestrial Antbird came walking towards him. Clearly this was a new species, if not to science,at least one previously unrecorded in this area or the rest of Peru. It turns out the closest known species is the Ferruginous-backed Antbird (Myrmeciza ferruginea) some 2000 km away in the Guyanan region of Venezuela and Guyana."
Gunnar also discusses the description and conservation of the new Antbird and Scarlet-banded Barbet:
"Josh knew that if this was a new species, formal documentation and a description was urgently needed. Coincidentally as he was about to leave, a team from Louisiana State University (LSU) arrived to work on other species. Together with the LSU team of Dane Lane, Jesse Fagan, Andre Moncreiff and Oscar Johnson, as well as Fernando Angulo from CORBIDI more individuals and territories could be located.
This new Antbird and the possibility to actually see the Scarlet-banded Barbet without going on a 10 day expedition, will create a lot of interest from birders around the world. There will be a monetary incentive at Flor de Café with more birders visiting for the locals to conserve the area. Here is a video that the Fernando Angulo made about the Barbet when the team was there.
A formal description of the new antbird species has been completed and will be published shortly. This will be essential to help create the legal framework necessary for the Peruvian state to declare recognized reserves and legal actions to ensure its conservation. After all, it was partly the discovery of Scarlet-banded Barbet that ensured the creation of Cordillera Azul National Park."
02 May 2017
Gunnar Engblom.
Gunnar is a Swedish birder who has lived in Peru since 1998, where he operates birdwatching and nature tours for Kolibri Expeditions.
You can read the full blog account here
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