JAKARTA (AFP) - A bird last seen more than 170 years ago in the rainforests of Borneo has been rediscovered, amazing conservationists who have long assumed it was extinct.
The black-browed babbler has only ever been documented once - when it was first described by scientists around 1848 - eluding all subsequent efforts to find it.
But late last year, two men in Indonesian Borneo saw a bird they did not recognise and snapped photos of it before releasing the palm-sized creature back into the forest, according to Global Wildlife Conservation.
Ornithologists were astounded to find that the black-browed babbler was alive and well, despite not having been seen since before Charles Darwin published On The Origin Of Species.
A bird last seen more than 170 years ago in the rainforests of Borneo has been rediscovered, amazing conservationists who have long assumed it was extinct.
Enigmatic bird lost to science for 170 years rediscovered in Indonesia
It s mind blowing to think the black-browed babbler isn t extinct, conservationists say. Listen - 01:38
This photo of a black-browed babbler is the first confirmed sighting of the bird in over 170 years. Muhammad Suranto and Muhammad Rizky Fauzan
There s one known specimen of the black-browed babbler bird in scientific archives. It was collected and described way back in the 1840s and has largely remained a mystery ever since.
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Scientists can thank locals Muhammad Suranto and Muhammad Rizky Fauzan, who captured the bird by accident while out in the forest. They recognized it was unusual and took photos to send to a birdwatching group before releasing it. The photos circulated to ornithologists who made the identificatio
FOUND: Locals and Scientists Rediscover the Black-browed Babbler in Borneo After 172 Years asiaresearchnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from asiaresearchnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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