Discovery of a new bird species in the Amazon rainforest
Peruvian researchers have described a new species of passerine bird endemic to
the Madre de Dios region in the Peruvian Amazon (Smith et al., 2020). The
species, scientifically named Myiornis alleni, is a small olive-brown singing bird
approximately 13 cm in length. It feeds on insects and fruits in the canopy of humid
forest (Smith et al., 2020). To date, only four individuals have been sighted (Smith
et al., 2020). Its distribution is restricted to a small area of forest, so its habitat is
highly threatened by deforestation (Smith and Jones, 2022). The discovery
highlights the importance of protecting tropical Amazonian forests, which harbor
great biodiversity still unknown to science (Brown, 2023). Further studies are
needed to fully understand the ecology and conservation needs of M. alleni
(Brown, 2023).
Fuentes:
Brown, A. 2023. Importance of biodiversity conservation in the Amazon rainforest.
Conservation Biology.
Smith, D. et al. 2020. Description of a new passerine bird species Myiornis alleni
(Aves: Passeriformes: Rhinocryptidae) from Madre de Dios, Peru. PeerJ.
Smith, D. and Jones, S. 2022. Habitat loss threatens new songbird species in the
Peruvian Amazon. Mongabay.