Biologists in Africa’s Albertine Rift region recently made a surprising discovery – a new species of bird living high in the mountains of this incredibly biodiverse area. They named this bird Willard’s Sooty Boubou, which is opposed to another previously recognized high-elevation species, the Mountain Sooty Boubou. These birds appear quite similar, but live at different elevations. Willard’s Sooty Boubou is found at approximately 1200-1900 meters, and the Mountain Sooty Boubou is found at 1800-3800 meters. While the team was quite happy to find this new bird, after analyzing its habitat they soon realized that more than half of it had been destroyed for agricultural needs. This has sparked debates in the local area on taking measures to protect the environment and conserve what is left of this birds habitat before it goes extinct. By better understanding this new species of bird and identifying what kind of ecological niche it fills, scientists can learn how to better protect it in the face of growing threats.
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