MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New bird species spotted in northern Argentina

The bird's song differentiates it from the medium-sized benteveo, a very similar bird of the same genus

The red-winged brant (Myiozetetes cayanensis), a member of the brant family that had never before been recorded in Argentina, has been sighted in Iguazú, in the province of Misiones, by a Paraguayan tourist who alerted forest rangers about his findings.

After the first report, specialists were able to record the bird's song, which is the main characteristic of the species. All the records were reported on the citizen science platform eBird, where bird enthusiasts make their contributions to ornithological knowledge.

So far, the species inhabited semi-open areas and jungle edges from Costa Rica to Paraguay and now seems to be expanding southward.

The discovery proved both the importance of protected areas for many species, as well as that of tourists who can provide valuable data.

A traveler from Paraguay named Oscar Rodríguez recorded the first appearance of the red-winged benteveo (myiozetetes cayanensis). Rodríguez, an observer of nature and an avid photographer, immediately alerted Iguazú National Park guides Gabriel Moresco and Fernando Cabral. It was then possible to record the bird's song, which differentiates it from the medium-sized benteveo, a very similar bird of the same genus.

A statement from the Ministry of Environment also highlighted the importance of “citizen science tools by visitors” to gather “valuable information and data on flora and fauna present in national parks and reserves.”