Inagua, Bahamas – The Bahamas National Trust is thrilled at the recent announcement by the American Ornithologists Union (AOU), of a new hummingbird species on the island of Inagua. The Bahama Woodstar (Calliphlox evelynae) – a hummingbird that is native to the Bahamas archipelago – was originally classified scientifically as two subspecies. It was recently determined however, that the birds are now two completely different species. The Bahama Woodstar is a member of the Bee Hummingbird group.
(Left) – The Bahamas National Trust is thrilled to announce the discovery of a new hummingbird species on the island of Inagua. The Bahama Woodstar (Calliphlox evelynae) – a hummingbird that is native to the Bahamas archipelago – was thought to have two subspecies, however it was recently discovered that the birds are two completely different species. Pictured is a female Inagua Woodstar. (Photo courtesy of Sandy Trevor for Barefoot Marketing).
(Right) – Pictured is a Newly Discovered Male Inagua Woodstar. Previously, the Bahama Woodstar, which is a member of the Bee Hummingbird group, was found throughout The Bahamas and in the Turks and Caicos Islands, with the exception of Great and Little Inagua where the Inagua Woodstar (Calliphox lyrura) was found. But scientists now say that the two subspecies are two distinct species. (Photo courtesy of Neil McKinney for Barefoot Marketing)
One subspecies of the Bahama Woodstar, was found throughout The Bahamas and in the Turks and Caicos Islands, with the exception of Great and Little Inagua where the other subspecies occurred. But scientists now say that the two subspecies are indeed two distinct species.
In today’s world discovery of a new species usually means travel and research in remote areas, however, this newest species was discovered and researched in the backyards of local homes and porches. Teresa Feo, a doctoral student at Yale University and lead author of the new study published in the January issue of the ‘The AUK’, a magazine published by The AOU, explained, “Much of the fieldwork was conducted sitting at backyard tables of interested birders, holding the recorder in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.”
Although the species are strikingly similar, appearances are deceiving. In the 1800s the birds we originally labeled as different species, however James Peters lumped the species as one species in the Check-List of Birds of the World, which was published in 1949.
In 2009, Feo teamed up with ornithologist Christopher Clark from the University of California, Riverside to study the sounds made by the Bahama Woodstar, leading to the discovery of the separate species.
“We originally wanted to study the two subspecies simply to capture the diversity of sounds they might produce with their tail feathers,” said Feo. “And in the course of doing fieldwork it became obvious that they were different …and different more than just normal subspecies.”
The birds have different calling sounds, causing them to only attract their own kind. Additionally, males from the Bahama Woodstar species make the classic hummingbird sounds, while males from the Inagua Woodstar species sound more like wet squishy shoes.
The American Ornithologists Union (AOU) has recognized the new species as the Inagua Woodstar (Calliphlox lyrura).You can see the newly discovered species at the BNT’s Inagua National Park in Great Inagua. Visit the BNT’s website to learn more about the national parks and plan your visit to see this beautiful new bird today.
