Spectacled Flowerpecker -- Expedition Leaders with Guides (IMAGE)
Caption
Expedition leaders Jacob Saucier (third from the left) and Christopher Milensky (right) with local Iban guides who helped the Smithsonian team of researchers explore Borneo's forest. The expedition led to the first formal description of the spectacled flowerpecker as a new species, reported Oct. 17 in the journal <em>Zootaxa</em>. The study confirms that the bird belongs to a colorful family of fruit-eating birds known as flowerpeckers, which are found throughout tropical southern Asia, Australia and nearby islands. The knowledge and skills of the local people in Borneo were essential in enabling the research team to access the wildlife preserve and animals for their study. The scientific name that the team chose for the spectacled flowerpecker, <em>Dicaeum dayakorum</em>, honors the Dayaks, the people who live in and are working to protect the Borneo's forests.
Credit
Jacob Saucier, Smithsonian
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