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1Feb 2022.
Introduction:
The new bird species, Cyornis and Zosterops, were discovered recently from Borneo. These species were inhabiting Meratus Mountains in south-eastern Borneo.
About Cyornis Genus
- Cyornis is a genus of passerine birds, belonging to Old-World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.
- This genus comprises of 25 currently recognized species. It also includes some species which were previously placed in Rhinomyias genus.
- It is distributed across southern Asia, from Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Characteristics of Cyornis Flycatchers
- Most of Cyornis flycatchers are sexually dimorphic in plumage. Males are blue above and blue & white or orange & white below.
- However, few species are sexually monomorphic and lack bright colours.
- This species is most closely related to Dayak blue flycatcher, but morphologically different due to lighter blue on the upper parts and less reddish & more whitish on the underparts.
About Zosterops
- Zosterops is a genus of passerine birds.
- It comprises of typical white-eyes in family Zosteropidae.
- This genus comprises of more than 100 species.
- These species are distributed across Afrotropical, Australasian and Indomalayan, realms.
- These birds are supreme island colonizers.
- This is why, so many different white-eye species have evolved rapidly.
Feature of Zosterops species
- Most characteristic feature of Zosterops white-eyes is its conspicuous white feather ring around eye.
- However, some species lack it.
- This species is most closely related to lemon-bellied white-eye, but different due to olive upperparts and darker underparts.
Species found in Borneo
- The avian biodiversity and endemism of Borneo is significant.
- Around 50 endemic species have been described from the island under taxonomic arrangements.
- Many of these are montane specialists, while around 27 species are endemic to Borneo’s highlands.