Re: New species found in Ecuador

S.R. Freiberg (sammarcy@erols.com)
Wed, 01 Apr 1998 12:51:02 -0500


Tyler Bell wrote:

> Birds That Really Dig Their Environment
> By Frank Knott ...New York Times April 1, 1998
>
> CORDILLERA DE HUACAMAYOS, Ecuador -- Dr. Avril Pioneer, working in the
> mountainous area of Cordillera de Huacamayos, Ecuador has discovered a
> colony of subterranean birds.
>
> The bird, newly named the flute-billed tunnel-hermit, apparently spends
> almost it's entire life underground living on insects and worms.
>
> "It only ventures above ground when it's time to breed," said Dr.
> Pioneer, speaking at a press conference in Quito. "The birds must gather
> grass and plant fiber to line their nests."
>
> Dr. Pioneer has been studying birds and their behavior in Ecuador for
> over ten years but only stumbled across the tunnel-hermit by accident
> three months ago.
>
> "As is often the case," Pioneer explained, "the most important
> discoveries are made serendipitously. I was trying to find the source of
> some unusual vocalization and I literally dropped in on a colony of the
> birds."
>
> The birds are supremely adapted to their life underground. Their beaks
> are the size of a toothbrush and shaped like a long spade.
>
> Dr. Pioneer has discovered that they excavate their labyrinth of tunnels
> by inserting their beaks into the earth and violently rotating their
> entire body in a corkscrew manner by thrusts of their powerful legs.
> Dislodged earth is propelled behind the bird at the same time where it
> is scooped up by what Dr. Pioneer refers to as 'helper' birds and thrown
> out of tunnel entrances.
>
> The extensive rains in the area quickly wash away this loose soil,
> leaving no evidence of the burrowing activity.
>
> Dr. Pioneer described how sometimes birds would get stuck and have to be
> pulled free by those behind.
>
> "The cooperative nature of the birds in the colony is astounding," Dr.
> Pioneer said, "It far exceeds any previously documented behavior in the
> bird world."
>
> The tunnel-hermit is flightless as might be expected.
>
> "They have very small, vestigial wings which we at first believed served
> only to anchor birds when moving through the tunnel system. It was only
> later that we were able to observe a male moving his wings along his
> beak at the same time a beautiful, flute-like vocalization was emitted."
>
> "This was the same wonderous sound that first drew me to the area,"
> explained Dr. Pioneer. "We have since had the opportunity to observe
> tiny holes, spaced at regular intervals down both sides of the beak. The
> melody is so dazzlingly beautiful and has such an incredible ephemeral
> quality that we have informally called the song the 'Melody of Fools'."
> --
> Good Birding!                  ...and all this science,
> Tyler Bell                     I don't understand, It's
> mailto:bell@say.acnatsci.org   just my job five days a week.
> California, MD                 Elton John (Rocket Man)
> http://www.anserc.org/



So Dr. Avril Pioneer (April the First) found tiny holes spaced evenly on
the beak to give forth the flute like sounds.  What will he find in 1999?