What may be the longest missing bird in Asia has just come out of hiding. For the first time in 170 years, researchers reported last week that a black-eyed chatterbox was found in Indonesia. The discovery of the black, gray and brown-brown bird solves what an authorized birdwatching guide describes as “one of the great enigmas of Indonesian ornithology”.
“When we actually received confirmation of identification, I said a little prayer and bent over to celebrate,” said Panji Gusti Akbar, ornithologist and lead author of the article describing the new species. “I felt enthusiasm, disbelief and a lot of happiness.”
Ornithologists first described the black-eyed chatterboxes around 1850, after collecting the only known specimen of the species. The specimen was initially mislabeled as coming from the island of Java instead of Borneo, preventing early attempts to locate other black-eyed chatterboxes. But even after ornithologists cleared up the geographic confusion, no one was able to find the bird. It did not help that traditionally few bird watchers and ornithologists have ventured into the Indonesian side of Borneo.
In 2016, that started to change with the founding of BW Galeatus, a birdwatching group in Borneo Indonesia. BW Galeatus members contacted the local population to teach them about the diversity of birds in their provinces. Two of these local men, Muhammad Suranto and Muhammad Rizky Fauzan, were curious about the identity of a black and brown bird that they sometimes saw flying during their trips to the forest in South Kalimantan, one of Indonesia’s provinces in Borneo. Last October, Suranto and Fauzan managed to catch one of the birds and send photos to Joko Said Trisiyanto, a member of BW Galeatus.
“I was confused when we got the photos, because it looked a bit like the Horsfield chatterbox, but it didn’t quite match,” said Trisiyanto. The photos correspond more closely to the illustration of a black-eyed chatterbox – a bird listed in the Trisiyanto guide as possibly extinct.
Perplexed, Mr. Trisiyanto passed the images to Mr. Akbar. He was shocked.
“I started walking around my house, just trying to contain my excitement,” he said.
Mr. Akbar sent the photos to other experts, including Ding Li Yong, a conservationist at BirdLife International in Singapore and the regional representative for the Oriental Bird Club, a group of birds based in Britain. Dr. Yong at first thought that someone was playing a trick – that he was looking at a photoshopped image, perhaps of an anthill from Ecuador.
“It took me a while to understand this thing,” said Yong. As soon as he realized that the photos were legitimate, he said, “I had a tear in my eye.”
“This is really a big deal for Indonesian ornithology – as shocking as rediscovering the passenger pigeon or Carolina parakeet,” said Yong, citing two extinct bird species. “But this is closer to home, a bird from the part of the world I live in.”
After the bird’s identity was confirmed, Mr. Trisiyanto persuaded Mr. Suranto and Mr. Fauzan to release the captured animal back into the forest. He and Akbar hope to use the discovery of the black-eyed chatterbox to boost local interest in nature and bring tourist dollars to the region. They also plan to train Mr. Suranto and Mr. Fauzan as birdwatching guides.
“Bird watchers from around the world have already started contacting me about the possibility of visiting and seeing this bird,” said Akbar, who is a member of Birdpacker, a bird watching and guide group based in East Java.
As soon as Covid-19’s travel restrictions are lifted, he and his colleagues plan to set up an expedition to study the black-eyed chatterbox. “Basically, we have no knowledge about this bird,” said Akbar.
However, they are already filling in some blanks. For example, the 170-year-old specimen has bright yellow glass eyes and legs that have been faded to light brown. Based on photos of the live bird, however, researchers now know that the species has deep scarlet eyes and gray legs.
“We are seeing this bird alive for the first time in all its natural glory,” said Yong. “Borneo is an island of surprises and there is still much to be discovered and learned.”