Chris Merkord Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 Ethiopian Bush-crow. © Paul Donald Bush-crow diaries: The mystery of the Abyssinian Pie In the region around Yabello, Oromia, in south of Ethiopia, living in a tiny area of some 6000km2 of heavily human modified rangeland and thornscrub, lives one of Africa’s best kept biological secrets. A bird described as ‘one of the most remarkable African discoveries of the twentieth century’ – the Ethiopian Bush-crow Zavattariornis stresemanni. Its evolutionary history is interesting, but the explanation of its range restriction, with vast areas of seemingly suitable, unoccupied habitat existing directly adjacent to the species tight range, is nothing short of remarkable. Virtually nothing is known about their ecology in relation to the unique climate bubble defining their presence. Determining the ecological mechanisms that underpin this range restriction has been identified as a research priority to inform how best conservation action can be directed on the ground, both physically and logistically. View the full article from the Scientific American expeditions blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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