With the improvement of wildlife monitoring techniques, the sightings of animals that were believed extinct – the so -called “Lazzaro effect” are multiplying in recent years. The last in order of time is a small bird, the Schiribilla delle Galápagos, described for the first time by Charles Darwin in 1835, and since then disappeared from the radar – until recently, when thanks to the efforts of the Florena Island Conservation Project has been observed again in its Natìa island. Or maybe he was never gone, and he had simply escaped us.
Florena’s rebirth. About fifteen centimeters long, almost unable to fly, the Schiribilla delle Galápagos was, as mentioned, observed for the first time by Charles Darwin in 1835, during the trip of the Beagleon the island of Floreana, the largest sixth of the Galápagos archipelago, of volcanic origin and inhabited by a hundred people. Schiribilla is also found in the other islands of the archipelago, but in reduced numbers, so much so that the IUCN considers it “vulnerable”; And it is not easy to observe, because it lives between the dense vegetation of the island.
Two years ago, Florena Island Conservation Project has started a project that involves the removal of invasive species, above all rats and wild cats, which have a devastating effect on the local fauna, and in particular on the Ralli (birds close relatives of Schiribilla). The project was immediately successful, so much so that several birds, coming from the nearby islands, have started to appear on Floreana again.
What if you never left? Among these, the Schiribilla is recorded, which has been photographed once, observed two and recorded six times – still low numbers, but which still represent a good start for the project. The question at this point is another, however: had the Schiribilla delle Galápagos really disappeared from Floreana, and is returning from the surrounding islands?
The alternative hypothesis is that it had never gone, and that in the last 190 yearssimply, we were unable to observe it. It is possible that we will never know what the answer to this mystery is, but what matters is that the Schiribilla is back: the island regeneration project is workingand his next objectives are the reintroduction of 11 other locally extinct species, and documented on the official website of the project.
