Hanuman Plover Bird Reinstated As Species After 86 Years: Study
NDTV
Named after the Hindu god Hanuman, the small whitish bird, the size of a Robin, was merged with the Kentish plover in the 1930s as both species were considered to be the same.
The Hanuman plover bird, a resident of India and Sri Lanka, has been reinstated as a species 86 years after being relegated to a subspecies, a move that researchers hope will focus conservation attention on at-risk habitats.
Named after the Hindu god Hanuman, the small whitish bird, the size of a Robin, was merged with the Kentish plover in the 1930s as both species were considered to be the same.
However, the advent of DNA sequencing has allowed scientists to confirm subtle differences between the groups that are enough to split them apart.
The researchers hope that by resurrecting the species, conservation funding will be used to help protect the area's threatened wetlands.
