Although islanders have reported seeing the bird since at least the 1920s, it took until 2016 for researchers to confirm its existence.

Part of the larger family of scops owls, O. bikegila has a fast cry that sounds like an insect’s chirping. Its repetitive “tuu” echoes across the island after sunset. The birds can be elusive to the eye, but their loud cries are used to defend their territory and attract mates.

The birds live in lower-elevation, old-growth forest on the uninhabited, protected south end of Príncipe, which is one of the two main islands that make up the West African nation of São Tomé and Príncipe. “In this small area (about four times the size of Central Park), the densities of the owl are relatively high, with the population estimated at around 1000-1500 individuals,” researchers say in a news release.

Researchers argue the owls should be classified as critically endangered despite their population density on the island because the birds live in just one small area.

Without the expertise of locals, the owl would never have been identified, researchers say. “Curiosity-driven” endeavors such as bird discovery are more likely to succeed “when coupled with local ecological knowledge, the participation of keen amateur naturalists, and persistence,” they write.