Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher: New Species of Bird Discovered in Indonesia

Nov 25, 2014 by News Staff

An international group of ornithologists from the United States and Indonesia led by Dr Berton Harris of Princeton University has described a new species of flycatcher from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

The Sulawesi streaked flycatcher (Muscicapa sodhii), painting by Teo Nam Siang.

The Sulawesi streaked flycatcher (Muscicapa sodhii), painting by Teo Nam Siang.

The new species, named the Sulawesi streaked flycatcher (Muscicapa sodhii), has awaited formal scientific description since 1997, when it was originally spotted in a patchy remnant of forest.

At the time, the bird was thought to be the migratory Gray-streaked flycatcher (Muscicapa griseisticta).

Dr Harris and his colleagues traveled to Central Sulawesi in the summers of 2011 and 2012 to observe the bird and prove that it’s in fact a new species.

After weeks of camping near the town of Baku Bakulu, they finally found the bird – in the place it was originally seen – in summer 2012, observing several of them.

The Sulawesi streaked flycatcher (Muscicapa sodhii). Image credit: © Martin Lindop.

The Sulawesi streaked flycatcher (Muscicapa sodhii). Image credit: © Martin Lindop.

A full examination of the bird’s measurements, genetics, plumage and sound revealed that, compared with similar flycatchers, the bird has shorter wings, a more strongly hooked bill and a shorter tail.

Its plumage also is distinct, as the bird has a plainer face and streaked throat.

The new species’ DNA shows that it is only distantly related to the Gray-streaked flycatcher, and it most closely resembles the Thailand population of the Asian brown flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica siamensis).

In its song, the new bird is rather similar to other Asian species, producing whistles, chirps and trills, but is slightly more high-pitched and lacks the lower-pitched notes that other species make.

“We were lucky to be able to make the first known recording of this bird singing,” said Dr Pam Rasmussen of Michigan State University, who is a co-author of the paper published in the open-access journal PLoS ONE.

While the Sulawesi streaked flycatcher does not require pristine rainforest to survive, it does appear to be dependent on tall forest trees spared by farmers.

“At this point, the species is not at risk for extinction. However, this could change if agriculture intensifies in this region,” Dr Rasmussen said.

The Latin name the scientists gave the bird pays homage to the late ecologist and ornithologist Dr Navjot Sodhi, who was a Professor at the National University of Singapore. Several animal species have been named after Prof Sodhi, including a snail, a fish and a new genus and species of crab.

“The naming of so many species in honor of Prof Sodhi shows how important he was to his students and collaborators. He probably would have been particularly pleased with our bird description, though, because he was an ornithologist, and so few bird species remain to be described,” said Dr Harris, who is the first author of the PLoS ONE paper.

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Harris JBC et al. 2014. A New Species of Muscicapa Flycatcher from Sulawesi, Indonesia. PLoS ONE 9 (11): e112657; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112657

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