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A male of the newly discovered Wakatobi
flowerpecker species
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Zoologists from Trinity College Dublin have discovered a currently unrecognised bird species in a biodiversity hotspot in Indonesia. The bird, which has been named the Wakatobi flowerpecker (Dicaeum kuehni), is found only on one small chain of islands in south-east Sulawesi. Despite looking similar to the grey-sided flowerpecker (Dicaeum celebicum) from mainland Sulawesi, Wakatobi flowerpeckers are significantly larger and genetically distinct. The genetic data from this study published in the journal Plos One, revealed that the two flowerpecker species did not mix or interbreed, which in turn suggests they have never crossed the 27km stretch of ocean between their habitats.
The Sulawesi region of Indonesia is part of the biodiversity hotspot of Wallacea, named after explorer and co-founder of the theory of evolution by natural selection, Alfred Russel Wallace. Despite boasting an incredibly large number of bird species found nowhere else in the world, the region has been poorly studied. The zoologist’s findings suggest that the lack of research and genetic analyses in the region could mean there are many more bird species awaiting description. As a result, they are calling for a more detailed survey of the bird populations in this beautiful and under-explored region.
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