Nepalese authorities discover new bird species

Representational image

New Delhi: Authorities in Nepal have discovered a new species of bird from a region known as upper Dolpa.

Upper Dolpa happens to be the largest district of the mid-western development region.

Organising a press meet here on Friday, discovery of a single individual of Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush Monticola saxitilis was made public, Xinhua news agency reported. 

The bird was seen and photographed in May near the Shey monastery within the Shey-Phoksundo National Park of Dolpa.

The Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush is considered as an autumn passage migrant in Pakistan and India.

A four-member team including young wildlife researcher of Nepal Naresh Kusi and Geraldine Werhahn from University of Oxford made the record during their visit to the region.

The team was studying the Himalayan wol., wild yak and snow leopard while they discovered this new bird species.

Bird experts have claimed that more researches are needed to ascertain the status of Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush in other parts of Nepal.

With this record, Nepal now has a total of 886 species of birds.

(With IANS inputs)