A new species of bird was discovered in Indonesia by a team of researchers from the Michigan State University, Princeton University and Indonesia's Institute of Sciences, UPI reported.
The Sulawesi streaked flycatcher was first seen in 1997 but was only recently named as a new type of bird after the researchers conducted a DNA analysis.
The team's report was published in the journal PLOS One.
Initially, the bird was thought to be a member of the gray-streaked flycatcher family. But after studying a DNA sample from the bird, the researchers concluded that it belonged to a different species.
In addition to its genetic trait, researcher Pam Rasmussen, an assistant professor of zoology at MSU, explained the Sulawesi streaked flycatcher sings differently to other flycatchers, according to MSU Today.
"The Sulawesi streaked flycatcher is similar to related Asian species in its song, producing whistles, chirps and trills, but slightly more high-pitched and lacks the lower pitched notes that other species make," she said in a press release.
"We were lucky to be able to make the first known recording of this bird singing," Rasmussen added.
Rasmussen described the bird as having shorter wings compared to regular flycatchers. It also has a short tail, hooked bill and streaked neck.
Berton Harris, another member of the research team and a Program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University, noted that the discovery of the new species of bird is a significant achievement.
"Considering that 98 percent of the world's birds have been described, funding new species is quite rare," he said.
Rasmussen and Harris' team has been following the bird in Indonesia since 2011. They only saw the bird in 2012 while they were camping in Central Sulawesi's Baku Bakulu, Discovery News reported.
Given the conditions of its natural habitat, or the location where the bird was discovered, Harris said the Sulawesi streaked flycatcher is currently not in danger of going extinct as long as agricultural activities do not disturb the area.
"At this point, the species is not at risk for extinction," he commented. "However, this could change if agriculture intensifies in this region."
