New bird found in India after more than 50 yrs
Reuters, New Delhi
A striking multi-coloured bird has been discovered in India's remote northeast, making it the first ornithological find in the country in more than half a century, experts said yesterday. The Bugun Liocichla, scientifically known as Liocichla bugunorum, a kind of babbler, was discovered in May at the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in India's hilly state of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China. The bird -- with olive and golden-yellow plumage, a black cap and flame-tipped wings -- is 20 cm (8 inches) in length and named after the Bugun tribespeople who live on the sanctuary's periphery. Professional astronomer and keen birdwatcher, Ramana Athreya, who discovered the bird said that although two Bugun Liocichlas were caught and examined at the sanctuary, both were released and no scientific specimen collected. "We thought the bird was just too rare for one to be killed (for scientific study)," said Ramana. "With today's modern technology, we could gather all the information we needed to confirm it as a new species. We took feathers and photographs, and recorded the bird's song." Athreya wrote a paper, which was circulated among foreign and Indian experts including Pamela C Rasmussen, assistant curator of mammalogy and ornithology at Michigan State university, and author of The Ripley Guide of Birds of South Asia.
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A Bugun Liocichla rests on the branch of a tree at Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh May 25, 2006. The striking multi-coloured Bugun Liocichla was discovered in India's remote northeast, making it the first ornithological find in the country in more than half a century, experts said on Tuesday. PHOTO: Reuters |
