A Rare Peruvian Owl
I was browsing through some old science news stories, looking for something to post about, and I found this:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17746419/
Tiny rare owl spotted in Peru reserve
Long-whiskered owlet discovered in 1976, but has not been seen in nature
Sometimes, I try to post about generalities, and sometimes I try to post about just really cool stuff. This is definitely really cool stuff. This is why I used to get “up north” in Michigan and go out at the crack of dawn with binoculars and a breakfast bar.
OK, so I never found a rare species, but I did see nesting Canada geese, ravens, and, once, a bald eagle. I always kept a record of what I saw, when I saw it, and where I saw it. There was never anything as exciting as this owl, but the eagle was a most impressive bird, and striking hawks are unforgettable. I can definitely understand the thrill these ornithologists got, when they realized what they had:
The group [American Bird Conservancy] said the sighting “is considered a holy grail of South American ornithology.”
“Seeing the long-whiskered owlet is a huge thrill,” said David Geale of the Association of Andean Ecosystems, who was a member of the research team. “Its population is estimated to be less than 1,000 birds and possibly as few as 250.”
That tiny population, and the threat of habitat destruction, are why this bird went undiscovered until 1976, and why it has never been seen in its natural state until now. It’s a story similar to the Large Billed Reed Warbler that I blogged about before. It makes you wonder what else is out there, that we just don’t know yet…
