Endangered Bird Rediscovered on Island After 106 Years
Scientists have rediscovered the endangered Wetar Ground-dove (Gallicolumba hoedtii) on the island of which it was named - Wetar Island in Indonesia.
The bird has not been officially recorded on the island since 1902, and until this discovery, scientists were uncertain about whether it even still existed on the island.
The dove, which has been classified as “endangered” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, has only been seen a handful of times since 1902. Apart from those sightings, which were all in neighbouring island Timor, the bird hasn’t been seen anywhere else in the world.
The great part about this rediscovery is that many Wetar Ground-doves were found on the island. At one stage, the researchers observed as many as 30 - 40 Wetar Ground-doves feeding on fallen fig (Ficus) fruits. This represents the largest congregation of Wetar Ground-doves ever recorded.
Project “Wetar Ground-Dove”
The rediscovery wasn’t exactly an accident. It occurred as part of a conservation project called “Wetar Ground-dove”.
Wetar Ground-dove project is a collaborative project between Columbidae Conservation; Charles Darwin University, Australia; and the Wildlife Conservation Society Indonesia Program
The first major task of the project was to seek out the threatened species to confirm whether or not it still existed on the island.
Now that they know the bird is still present on the island, the scientists will carry out further research to determine its distribution, habitat requirements, and any threats it may be facing.
One threat could come in the form of development. The island is not currently protected. The project will be pushing for the establishment of a protected area on the island.
To achieve this, they will identify a potential location for a protected area and provide justification, in collaboration with other leading wildlife conservation NGOs, to lobby for governmental support for the establishment of a protected area.
Tags: Conservation, extinction, threatened species
June 29th, 2010 at 9:08 am
I know this probably will seem like a bit of a strange question, but does anyone know what the most endangered bird in England is generally thought to be? Thanks for any help