![A male black sunbird. Credit: Nicola Marples and David Kelly, Trinity College Dublin. Several beautiful new bird species found on remote Indonesian islands](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Several-beautiful-new-bird-species-found-on-remote-Indonesian-islands.jpg)
A male black sunbird. Credit: Nicola Marples and David Kelly, Trinity College Dublin.
Zoologists from Trinity College Dublin, working with a research team in Indonesia, have discovered several new species of colorful tropical sunbirds.
Zoologists have identified a new species, the Wakatobi sunbird (Cinnyris infrenatus), which lives on the tiny Wakatobi Islands in central Indonesia. They also examined the more common olive-backed and black sunbirds, and found that individuals named as such actually belonged to several unrecognized species.
Combined, these exciting findings have important implications for our understanding of evolution in this biodiverse region.
Living in the tropics from Africa to Australia, sunbirds resemble American hummingbirds and fill a similar ecological niche. Male sunbirds often have shiny plumage, with iridescent or “metallic” feathers that glisten in the sun.
For hundreds of years, zoologists have examined the plumage of sunbirds to name species, of which more than 140 are currently recognized. However, using new forms of evidence, including DNA, song recordings and statistical analyzes of body measurements, zoologists have revealed that this family is even more diverse than previously thought.
This work was done jointly by researchers from Trinity’s School of Natural Sciences and Universitas Halu Oleo in Sulawesi, Indonesia, and has just been published in the Linnean Society Zoological Journal. Fittingly, this journal was the first to publish the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in 1858.
![A male olive-backed sunbird. Credit: Nicola Marples and David Kelly, Trinity College Dublin. Several beautiful new bird species found on remote Indonesian islands](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1666661476_264_Several-beautiful-new-bird-species-found-on-remote-Indonesian-islands.jpg)
A male olive-backed sunbird. Credit: Nicola Marples and David Kelly, Trinity College Dublin.
The international research team retraced Wallace’s steps in more ways than one, as he based his theories on his studies of animals across the islands of present-day Indonesia.
Fionn Ó Marcaigh, first author of the article and holder of a Ph.D. A candidate for Trinity’s School of Natural Sciences, said: “One of Wallace’s major discoveries is called ‘Wallace’s Line’ – a boundary between deep and shallow seas that many animals have been unable to cross, leading to marked differences in the species found on The widespread olive-backed sunbird seemed to be an exception, occurring from China to Australia with Wallace’s Line right in the middle of its range.
“The new study, however, showed that the populations on either side actually represent two different species, consistent with Wallace’s original predictions. The black sunbird was already known to be prone to Wallace’s line, but the new research showed that the population around Sulawesi is a distinct species from that of New Guinea.”
Despite this split, the olive-backed sunbird covers quite a wide range for such a small bird. The recently discovered Wakatobi sunbird, meanwhile, is restricted to the tiny Wakatobi Islands, off the coast of greater Sulawesi. Small isolated islands like these have their own evolutionary processes, and these often produce unique species, as in the famous case of the Galápagos.
Previous work from the Trinity School of Natural Sciences identified two species of white-eyed birds from the same area, which has been recognized by international conservation organizations as a key biodiversity area.
![A male Wakatobi sunbird. Credit: Nicola Marples and David Kelly, Trinity College Dublin. Several beautiful new bird species found on remote Indonesian islands](https://oponame.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1666661476_101_Several-beautiful-new-bird-species-found-on-remote-Indonesian-islands.jpg)
A male Wakatobi sunbird. Credit: Nicola Marples and David Kelly, Trinity College Dublin.
In addition to being genetically unique, the Wakatobi sunbird also has darker plumage, higher-pitched song, and shorter wings than the olive-backed sunbird. Its short wings likely contributed to its isolation on the Wakatobi Islands as the olive-backed sunbird undertook long-range colonization over the sea.
Fionn Ó Marcaigh added: “It’s amazing that there are still species waiting to be found in this region, which has been important for evolutionary biology since the time of Wallace. I am delighted that we have added to the list of known species of this wonderful part of the world, it’s the kind of thing I dreamed of when I became interested in zoology as a child, plus this study was a great opportunity to build on classic work with new techniques. It’s especially fascinating when we find new findings that support Wallace’s original predictions.”
Dr. David Kelly of Trinity University is the second author of the article. He added: “The identification of the Wakatobi sunbird serves to remind us that biodiversity is everywhere. This bird was not found in a remote rainforest, but along the scrubby margins of bustling towns and villages. children of Wakatobi can enjoy these special birds for generations to come.”
Zoologists discover two new bird species in Indonesia
Fionn Ó Marcaigh et al, Small islands and large biogeographic barriers have resulted in contrasting speciation patterns in Indo-Pacific sunbirds (Aves: Nectariniidae), Linnean Society Zoological Journal (2022). DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac081
Provided by Trinity College Dublin
Quote: Several beautiful new bird species found on remote Indonesian islands (2022, October 24) Retrieved October 24, 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-10-beautiful-bird-species-remote-indonesian. html
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