Credit where credit is due!
The species epithet bikegila was chosen in homage of Ceciliano do Bom Jesus, nicknamed Bikegila – a former parrot breeder from Príncipe Island and now a ranger in Príncipe’s nature reserves. The discovery of the Príncipe scops-owl was only possible thanks to the local knowledge shared by Bikegila and by his unflinching efforts to solve the long-term mystery of whether the owl existed. As such, the name is also meant as an acknowledgement to local field assistants, all over the world, who often play a major role in the discovery of new species and sites for science.
Not yet on iNat