A piece of news came out of Madagascar last week that delighted biologists around the world. The good news was the discovery of a bird that had not been seen for 24 years. Also known as Dusky Tetraca (Xanthomixis tenebrosa) and Dusky Greenbull, this bird is native to Madagascar. The upper part of the body has a characteristic olive green color and the lower part is a duller color. The yellow color under the neck is distinctive. There is a small dark beak. Eyes, feet and legs are all dark. It is found in the middle to upper canopy of forests. It will fly back and forth at high speed in search of small insects.
In December 2022 and January 2023, 3 birds of this species were found in the remote rainforests of northeastern Madagascar. Unlike usual, they were seen on the stony banks of streams coming from the mountains. The dark tetraca was found by an expedition team that was part of a project launched in 2017 to find the missing birds. Eight of the 25 priority birds identified in the project have so far been identified. The dark tetraca was the bird that ranked first among these. The place where this bird was found is officially protected. But the scientists who went in search of the bird found that much of the forest had been cleared for vanilla cultivation.
Content Summary : Bird Dusky Tetraka makes surprise reappearance after 24 years
