Birdwatcher Enam Ul Haque led a team that spotted the birds, also known as great pied kingfishers, on November 22 during a seven-day tour of the Sangu and Matamuhuri valley reserve forest.

The team found another pair of the same species in the Remakri stream between the Nafakkhu waterfall and the Sangu river near Baro Madok.

The South Asian sub-continent is home to 12 species of kingfishers and Bangladesh recorded all except the crested kingfisher before.

Enam believes more crested kingfishers might be seen in other fast-moving streams near Loikree and is planning another trip to the area at winter-end.

Bangladesh Bird Club informed birdwatchers and ornithologists around the world about the sighting of crested kingfishers in Bandarban.