KUCHING: A Sarawak Forest Department team led by researcher Dr Ahmad Ampeng discovered an unidentified bird species recently.
The discovery is most likely a new sub-species of a pheasant from the family Phasianidae belonging to the genus Lophura.
This is based on the taxonomy description made.
According to acting director of forest, Tuan Hamden Mohammed, three Lophura species are known to inhabit the Bornean island.
He said: “The species are Lophura ignita ignita, Lophura ignita nobilis and Lophura bulweri.
“The Lophura bulweri also known as Bulwer’s wattled pheasant, wattled pheasant or white-tailed wattled pheasant are endemic to Borneo.
[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ]“The most significant difference between the two bornean Lophura species is the crest. The crest is absent in the Lophura bulweri but appears in both male and female genders of the Lophura ignita ignita and Lophura ignita nobilis.
“The absence of crest and plumage comparisons indicate that the species are strictly not from the Lophura ignita species but are closer to the Bulwer species, although their physical characteristic, plumage coloration and particularly the tail is different from that of the Lophura bulwer.
“With this, it was concluded that the species might be the sub-species of Lophura bulweri,” he said.
Tuan Hamden said, at the moment, the identification was only made based on their physical characteristic/taxonomy.
No DNA sample has been taken because during the survey that was carried out no complete equipment were brought to the field.
He said DNA sample collection will require proper equipment. He also said: “This is the first time the species has been recorded, and we don’t have any idea of their population.
“We are in the process of collecting a proper DNA sample to confirm
the status of the species first, ” he added.
Tuan Hamden also explained that this finding indicates that the forests in Sarawak still hold the “mystery of species diversity” and thus should be intensively explored by the department’s researchers.
He also said that the species can be a potential tourism product especially for bird watchers or researches in the avian field.
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