14 March 2008 – An article in the most recent issue of The Wilson Journal of Ornithology (Volume 120, Issue 1) announces a new bird species from the Togian Islands of Indonesia. The Togian White-eye Zosterops somadikartai) shares several characteristics with its closest relative, the Black-Crowned White-eye; both are small, green birds, but unlike its cousin, the eye-ring of the Togian White-eye is black instead of white. Its distinct song also helped researchers to distinguish it from its relatives.

The Togian White-eye was observed in the field from 1997 to 2003, and has only been seen near the coasts of three small islands in central Sulawesi. The bird is believed to be endangered. Click here to read the abstract of the article.