It is a rare thing to discover a new species. It is even rarer to discover two, but a consortium of scientists has done just that. Two new species of owls have been discovered in the Philippines. This was not an overnight discovery but in fact took years to confirm. It seems it was well-worth the effort.
“More than 15 years ago, we realized that new subspecies of Ninox hawk-owls existed in the Philippines,” said Pam Rasmussen, the lead author on the paper announcing the discovery. “But it wasn’t until last year that we obtained enough recordings that we could confirm that they were not just subspecies, but two new species of owls.”
The scientists were able to determine that these were new species based on their distinctive mating calls and unique physical features.
The first owl, the Camiguin Hawk-owl, is only found on the small island of Camiguin Sur. While it is geographically close to the Mindanao owls, its physical characteristics and voice are quite different. As night sets in, the bird releases a long solo song, with low growling tones that build with intensity. If there are two owls, the serenading begins with a growl and morphs into a short barking duet. Listen to its songs here. These owls also exhibit unusual blue-gray eyes.
The second species is the Cebu Hawk-owl. Scientists thought this already-known variety of owl was extinct, as much of its forest habitat has been destroyed by human activities. Although previously studied, this owl was not thought to be a new species. However, careful recording of its calls and vocalizations warranted new classifications. You can listen its calls here.
“The owls don’t learn their songs, which are genetically programmed in their DNA and are used to attract mates or defend their territory; so if they’re very different, they must be new species,” Rasmussen said. “When we first heard the songs of both owls, we were amazed because they were so distinctly different that we realized they were new species.”
But why did it take scientists so long to recognize these owls as new species?
Location, location, location. Both owls live on small, remote islands off the beaten path of the typical ornithologist and birder. Moreover, the complex variations in appearance that they exhibit had been inadequately studied by researchers, and their songs had not been recorded.
The process was so time-consuming and complicated that it took a team of scientists from a variety of groups, including Michigan State University, BirdLife International, the Oriental Bird Club, Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. and Birdtour Asia with additional support provided by National Geographic.
Pam Rasmussen talks about the discovery in the video below:
That’s seems like a discovery worth singing about.
Main image adapted from original painting by John Gale/Oriental Bird Club