 and the African Scops-Owl (Otus senegalensis). Lead study author Martim Melo said: 'The discovery of a new bird species is always an occasion to celebrate and an opportunity to reach out to the general public on the subject of biodiversity. 'In this age of human-driven extinction, a major global effort should be undertaken to document what may soon not be anymore.' Family turns dead golden retriever into rug to 'preserve pet forever' They can be found throughout Europe, Asia and Africa ( Martim Melo / SWNS) The scientists behind the discovery said 'bikegila' was chosen in homage of Ceciliano do Bom Jesus, nicknamed Bikegila - a former parrot harvester from Príncipe Island and now a ranger of its natural park. The researchers said: 'The discovery of the Principe Scops-Owl was only possible thanks to the local knowledge shared by Bikegila and by his unflinching efforts to solve this long-time mystery. 'As such, the name is also meant as an acknowledgment to all locally-based field assistants who are crucial in){kind=link}
Its unique call, a short ‘tuu’ note repeated at about one note per second, was one of the main clues that led to the new species being discovered by scientists
A new species of owl has been discovered in the rainforests of a tropical island off the coast of Africa.
The bird, called the Principe Scops-Owl, was found on PrÃncipe, which lies off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea.
Scientists first found it in 2016, although suspicions of its occurrence gained traction back in 1998, and testimonies from local people suggesting it exists could be traced back as far as 1928.
Its Latin name is Otus bikegila, Otus being the generic name given to a group of small owls sharing a common history, commonly called scops-owls.