We discovered a new owl species—but we already considered it endangered

As part of an international team of scientists, we have finally confirmed, after decades of speculation, the presence of a new owl species on the island of Principe in the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Principe in Central Africa.

The owl’s existence was first confirmed in a photograph taken by Philippe Verbelen in 2016. However, testimony from locals suggests they suspected the owl existed as early as 1928 – it was just rarely spotted.

Now, we describe the owl in an open access journal Zoo Key Based on multiple lines of evidence, including morphology, plumage color and pattern, vocalizations, and genetics, we show that this owl is in fact a new species because these characteristics are different from other scops owls.

The bird is now officially known as the Principe Scops Owl, or Emu.

Hidden Owl

Otus Any of a group of small owls with a common history, often referred to as horned owls. They are found throughout Eurasia and Africa and include the widespread Eurasian scops owl (Horned Owl) and the African horned owl (Senegal Giant Panda).

Species nickname Bikojira The name was chosen in honor of Ceciliano do Bom Jesus, nicknamed Bikegila, a former parrot keeper on the island of Principe and now a ranger at the Principe Nature Reserve. The discovery of the Principe Scops Owl was entirely due to the local knowledge shared by Bikegila and his tireless efforts to solve the long-standing mystery of whether this owl existed. Therefore, the name is also a way of thanking local field assistants around the world who often play an important role in the discovery of new species and scientific sites.

Emu There is a distinctive call – a short “tuu” tone, repeated rapidly at a rate of about one note per second, reminiscent of the call of an insect. It is often uttered in duets and begins almost at nightfall. This call was one of the main clues that led to its discovery.

Although the Príncipe Scops Owl has only now been described by science, genetic data suggests that it is a descendant of the earliest horned owl species that colonized the Gulf of Guinea islands. While it may seem strange that a bird species on such a small island would have remained undiscovered by science for so long, this is by no means an isolated case as far as owls are concerned. The Anjouan Scops Owl, for example, was rediscovered on the Comoros island of Anjouan (also known as Nzouani) in 1992, 106 years after it was last observed. The Flores Scops Owl was rediscovered in 1994, 98 years after it was last reported.

Principe, the land of birds

The Príncipe Scops Owl is the eighth known endemic bird species on Príncipe, meaning it is found nowhere else on Earth. This exceptionally high level of bird endemism for an island of just 139 square kilometres underscores Príncipe’s global conservation importance. In addition, Príncipe shares three other endemic species with the neighbouring islands of São Tomé and Annobón.

We surveyed the entire island of Principe to determine the distribution and population size of the new species. The results are published in the journal Birdlife Internationalindicating that this new species of horned owl is only found in the remaining original forests of Principe Island. These forests are currently limited to the uninhabited southern part of the island. There, it occupies an area of ​​about 15 square kilometers, apparently because it prefers lower altitudes. In this small area (about four times the size of Central Park), the density of horned owls is relatively high, with an estimated number of about 1,000-1,500 individuals.

Nonetheless, because all individuals of the species are found in this single, very small locality (part of which will be affected by the construction of a small hydroelectric dam in the near future), we recommend listing the species as ‘Critically Endangered’ – the most threatened species in the world. IUCN Red ListThe organization is still evaluating the recommendation.

Critically endangered species

Discovering a new species and immediately assessing it as highly endangered speaks volumes about the current plight of biodiversity. On the positive side, the Príncipe Scops Owl’s habitat is completely covered by the Príncipe Obo Natural Park, which will hopefully help protect it.

Monitoring populations is essential to more accurately estimate their size and track trends. Surveying nocturnal species in remote and difficult terrain presents many logistical and funding challenges. To overcome these difficulties, we designed and successfully tested a Investigation Protocol The project uses automated recording devices placed around owl habitats. Artificial BroadCast Unitedligence will be used to retrieve owl calls from thousands of hours of recordings.

Birds are the most studied group of animals, so the discovery of a new bird species in the 21st century is indeed cause for celebration. But it also highlights the importance of field exploration aimed at finding species that may soon no longer exist. It also shows that success is more likely when curiosity-driven efforts are combined with local ecological knowledge, the involvement of enthusiastic amateur naturalists, and persistence.