HONG KONG: Jerdon’s Babbler is a species of bird that has long been listed as extinct and was last seen in 1941. The bird species has literally come back from the dead.
On Thursday, scientists reported spotting the bird in Myanmar, Burma. A group of scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society stumbled upon the bird back in May. While the scientists were studying other bird species in a small grassland area not far from an old abandoned agricultural station. The scientists heard the Jerdon’s Babbler’s distinct call and quickly set up to record it. Playing the call back, an adult Myanmar Jerdon’s Babbler came to investigate, giving the scientists the first look at the species in 74 years, reports National Geographic.
“Our sound recordings indicate that there may be pronounced bioacoustics differences between the Myanmar subspecies and those [farther] west, and genetic data may well confirm the distinctness of the Myanmar population,” Frank Rheindt, a Singapore National University assistant professor said.
Looking for more signs of the species, scientists spotted several more individual birds. Scientists were able to take blood samples as well as high resolution photos. Scientists state that the DNA contained in the blood samples could conclusively answer whether the Jerdon’s babbler found in Myanmar are in fact a distinctive species.
The Jerdon’s Babbler in Myanmar is currently considered as one of three subspecies that is found in the Ayeyarwady River basins in South Asia, Indus, and Bhramaputra. All show subtle differences and may yet prove to be distinctive species.
The Jerdon’s Babbler is a swallow-like bird and is one of three subspecies of Jerdon’s Babbler, which live near the river basin of South Asia.
Part of the reason the species disappeared is that its habitat became more human-dominated with settlements and farms.
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