Rare "Smiling" Bird Photographed for First Time

Researchers photograph for the first time, a rare bushbird, which gives the illusion of an enigmatic smile because of its curved beak. This bird has not been observed for almost 40 years until now.

Call him the Mona Lisa of the bird kingdom.

The rare recurve-billed bushbird, recently rediscovered by scientists in Colombia after a 40-year absence, sports a curving beak that gives the illusion of an enigmatic smile. There has been no documented photograph of this rare bushbird until now, when this photograph was taken by a conservationist with the Colombia-based nonprofit Fundación ProAves. It is the first ever taken of a live bushbird. The rare species was not seen for almost 40 years (between 1965 and 2004), due its limited range and remoteness of their habitats. The photograph was taken recently in Venezuela and in a region of northeastern Columbia. The researchers found the bird in a 250 acre (101 hectare) reserve next to the Torcoroma Holy Sanctuary near the Columbian town of Ocaña, where in 1709; the locals claimed they saw the image of Virgin Mary in a tree root. Since then the area is protected by Catholic Church authorities. This sanctuary might have helped save the bird survive. Everywhere else there has been deforestation and wildfires for agriculture and grazing have denuded the forests and destroyed much of the bird’s habitat. Facts of Bushbird:

Family/Sub-family Thamnophilidae

Species name author Elliot, 1870

Taxonomic source(s) SACC (2005), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993), Stotz et al. (1996)

Synonyms Clytoctantes alixi Stotz et al. (1996)

Identification 16.5 cm. Chunky, short-tailed antbird with bizarrely large, recurved bill. Very large, pale horn-bill laterally compressed with sharp-ridged culmen. The researchers found another rare Perija parakeet; it seems only 30 to 50 of its variety may exist. Paul Salaman of the American Bird Conservancy said:

As more and more remote areas are being settled, the bushbird reminds us how important it is to conserve as much natural habitat as we can.

There may be more undiscovered species there but sadly when it gets destroyed, no one knows what wonderful species and biodiversity are being lost.