What may be Asia’s longest bird has just been hidden away. For the first time in 170 years, researchers reported last week that a black-brown catfish was found in Indonesia. The discovery of the muted black, gray and chestnut brown bird solves an authoritative bird watching guide as ‘one of the great enigmas of Indonesian ornithology’.
“When we confirmed the identification, I prayed a bit and bowed to celebrate it,” said Panji Gusti Akbar, an ornithologist and lead author of the article describing the new species. “I felt excitement, disbelief and happiness.”
Ornithologists first described black-brown barbs around 1850 following the collection of the only known specimen of the species. The specimen was initially mislabeled as originating from the island of Java rather than Borneo, which stimulated early attempts to detect additional babies with black browns. But even after the ornithologists cleared up the geographic mix, no one could find the bird. It did not help that traditionally few birdwatchers and ornithologists ventured the Indonesian side of Borneo.
In 2016, that started to change with the founding of BW Galeatus, a bird watching group in the Indonesian Borneo. BW Galeatus members sent out locals to teach them about the variety of birds in their provinces. Two of the local men, Muhammad Suranto and Muhammad Rizky Fauzan, were curious about the identity of a black and brown bird they sometimes saw wandering around during their travels to the forest in South Kalimantan, one of Indonesia’s provinces on Borneo. Last October, Mr. Suranto and mr. Fauzan managed to catch one of the birds and capture photos of Joko Said Trisiyanto, a member of BW Galeatus.
“I was confused when we got the photos because it looked a bit like the Horsfield’s baby divider, but it did not really fit,” said Mr. Trisiyanto said. The photos fit closer to an illustration of a black-bubbling babbler – a bird that appeared in mr. Trisiyanto’s guide has become extinct if possible.
Confused, Mr. Trisiyanto the images to mr. Akbar passed on. He was shocked.
“I started walking around my house and just trying to control my excitement,” he said.
Mr. Akbar sent the photos to other experts, including Ding Li Yong, a conservationist from BirdLife International in Singapore and the local link for the Oriental Bird Club, a British bird group. Dr. Yong first thought someone was playing a prank – that he was looking at a photoshop image, perhaps of an anteater from Ecuador.
“It took me a while to tackle this issue,” said Dr. Yong said. After realizing that the photos were legal, he said, “I had a tear in my eye.”
“This is really a big deal for Indonesian ornithology – just as shocking as discovering the passage pigeon or Carolina parakeet,” said Dr. Yong said, naming two extinct bird species. “But it’s closer to home, a bird from the world I live in.”
After the bird’s identity was confirmed, Mr. Trisiyanto mnr. Suranto persuades Fauzan to release the captured animal back into the forest. He and mr. Akbar hopes to use the discovery of the black-brown babbler to spark greater local interest in nature and bring tourist dollars to the region. They also plan to kill Mr. Suranto and mr. Train Fauzan as a bird watching guide.
“Bird watchers from all over the world have already started contacting me about the possibility of visiting and seeing this bird,” said Mr. Akbar, who is a member of Birdpacker, a bird-watching and guidance group in East Java, said.
Once the travel restrictions of Covid-19 have been lifted, he and his colleagues plan to set up an expedition to study the black-brown chatterbox. “Basically we have no knowledge of this bird,” said Mr. Akbar said.
Although they already fill a few spaces. The example of the 170-year-old type has bright yellow glass eyes and legs that have faded to light brown. However, based on photos of the living bird, the researchers know that the species has deep scarlet eyes and gray legs.
“We are now seeing this bird alive for the first time in all its natural glory,” said dr. Yong said. “Borneo is an island of surprises, and there is still a lot to discover and learn.”