Ornithologists from the US Smithsonian Institution have identified a tiny fiery breasted robin as a new species.
The olive-backed forest robin (Stiphrornis pyrrholaemus) was first found on an expedition to forests in southwest Gabon in 2001, but it was thought to be a juvenile of a known species. The researchers have now confirmed that the robin is a distinct species by comparing its vocalizations and genetic code with those of other specimens in the Smithsonian's collection.
The finding was published last week in the journal _Zootaxa_
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New species of robin found in Gabon. Nature 454, 929 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/454929f
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/454929f