Lost Cuckoo Breaks Its Silence

FLORA AND FAUNA

An extremely rare sumatran ground cuckoo, whose call was recorded for the first time by researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society. Photo courtesy Wildlife Conservation Society

by Staff Writers
Bronx, NY (SPX) Feb 28, 2007
A team of biologists with the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have recorded for the first time the call of the extremely rare Sumatran ground cuckoo, found only on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The bird was captured by a trapper and handed over to WCS biologists, who recorded the bird's call while it nursed an injured foot. Once fully recovered, the bird will be released back into the wild.

Known only by a handful of specimens collected over the past century, the Sumatran ground cuckoo is considered to be one of the world's rarest, most secretive birds, and is restricted to Sumatra's deep jungles and rainforests. In fact, ornithologists believed the bird was extinct until 1997, when a single individual was briefly seen. Last year a second bird was photographed by a remote camera trap. It is now believed to be critically endangered.

Until now, however, no one knew the bird's call - a key field diagnostic ornithologists use to identify birds that live in forest. According to WCS, having a recording of the bird's call will also make it easier for biologists to locate other individuals, and to possibly evaluate the bird's total population.

"We were extremely lucky to have recorded the bird's unique call," said Firdaus Rahman, of WCS's Indonesia Program. "Our team will use the recording to hopefully locate other Sumatran ground cuckoos, and to eventually secure their protection."

The recoded call can best be described as a pair of sharp screams. It is unknown at this point whether the bird has additional vocalizations.

Sumatran ground cuckoos are relatively large birds (half a meter long) with long tails. It has green plumage with a black crown and green bill, and striking blue facial markings.

The Wildlife Conservation Society operates a field conservation projects throughout Indonesia, and works with local partners to safeguard this archipelago's amazing wildlife, many of which are found nowhere else on earth.

The WCS project to relocate the Sumatran Ground Cuckoo was supported by the Swedish 300 Club Foundation for Bird Protection. Their Chairman, Henrik Lind, adds "We are delighted with the result of this work and we hope it highlights the need to support such work into the future".

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

FLORA AND FAUNA

Warming Climate And Cod Collapse Have Combined To Cause Rapid North Atlantic Ecosystem

Ithica NY (SPX) Feb 26, 2007
Ecosystems along the continental shelf waters of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, from the Labrador Sea south of Greenland all the way to North Carolina, are experiencing large, rapid changes, reports a Cornell oceanographer in the Feb. 23 issue of Science.

INTERNET SPACE World Getting Ready To Change The Light Bulb Hong Kong Internet Access Fully Restored New Damage And Bad Weather Delay Asian Internet Repairs Asia Turns To Time-Tested Solution For Damaged Internet Cables	LAUNCH PAD Hyundai To Build First South Korea Launch Pad Construction Of Soyuz Launch Base In French Guiana Begins Satellite Launcher Arianespace Seeks To Boost US Business Iran Claims Of Satellite Launch Brought Down To Earth
AEROSPACE Lockheed Martin And FAA Reach Significant Milestone In Transformation Of Flight Services Can UABC Take Russian Aircraft-Makers Out Of Spin Superjet To Be Tested For Strength Anger As Britons Face Air Tax Hike	MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS Lockheed Martin Provides Air Force With Instant Intelligence Sharing Capability Sagem Awarded Contract To Study Future Military Communications Network Harris And BAE Systems Demonstrate Highband Networking Radio Using Directive Beam Technology Australia To Host US MUOS Listening Post
TECH SPACE DLR Founds The Institute Of Aerospace Systems In Bremen Rush Is On For Eco-Friendly Fair Trade Fabrics Micro Lander Powers Up For Magnetic Field Test As Rosetta Taps The Brakes While Passing Mars Light Carbon-Fiber Structure Protects Heavy Space Cargo	APPOINTMENTS Intelsat Names William Shernit President Of Intelsat General Subsidiary Alan Stern Appointed To Lead Science Mission Directorate Former Space Agency Chief May Head RSC Energia Northrop Grumman Names Teri Marconi VP Of Combat Avionics For Electronic Systems
EARTH OBSERVATION CSIRO Imagery Shows Outer Great Barrier Reef At Risk From River Plumes Scientists Gear Up For Envisat 2007 Symposium ITT Passes Critical Design Review for GOES-R Advanced Baseline Imager Sandstorm Over The Mediterranean	GPS NEWS Malaysia Launches World's Smallest Microchip With Radio Chip The Murky Ethics Of Implanted RFID Chips Lockheed Martin Team Qualifies To Bid On First FAA Nextgen Program GPS Upgrade Will Require Complicated Choreography

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement