失踪的啄木鸟又回来啦！

失踪的啄木鸟又回来啦！

失踪的啄木鸟又回来啦！

关于更多在南美洲失踪鸟种的信息，可以参看：http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2006/12/tobias_et_al_2006_Lost_and_found_neotrop_birding.pdf

Caatinga Woodpecker was found by a Brazilian ornithologist Advaldo do Prado whilst surveying in the Tocantins region of Central Brazil. This enigmatic species had not been observed since its initial discovery in 1926.

The woodpecker was previously known only from a single specimen collected in Brazil and deposited in the American Museum of Natural History, New York. The specimen was traditionally considered a subspecies of Rufous-headed Woodpecker C. spectabilis also from South America. It wasn’t until a recent review by ornithologists involved with the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithologists' Union concluded that dramatic differences in the plumage of Caatinga Woodpecker warranted full species status.

“Rediscoveries like this allow us crucial opportunities for understanding behaviour, ecology and for gauging conservation status with a view to creating protected areas within the Tocantins, a region that has suffered in recent years with expansion of agriculture and new road projects.” said Pedro Develey.

“Caatinga Woodpecker and rediscoveries like it provide hope for other South American birds currently missing and feared extinct, some of which haven’t been seen for over 150 years.” said Stuart Butchart, Global Species Coordinator, BirdLife International and co-author of ‘Lost and Found: a gap analysis for the Neotropical avifauna’, a recent article on the rediscovery of ‘lost’ birds.

For more information on other ‘lost’ bird species in South America download a copy of ‘Lost and Found: a gap analysis for the Neotropical avifauna’ (PDF), extracted from ‘Neotropical Birding 2006’