保育人士於11日宣佈，在印度東北部偏遠的森林裡發現一種罕見的鳥類。這種鮮明多彩的鳥類被命名為Bugun Liocichla，是印度半個世紀以來首次發現的新品種鳥類。
這種鳥類有黑色的帽冠，整體是橄欖色的，而翅膀上夾雜有紅、黃、黑、白各種的色羽。牠的尾羽是紅色的，約有8吋長。目前知道這新發現的品種族群數量有14隻，包括3對正在繁殖期的夫妻檔。專家相信牠們現在應是很稀有，否則應該會更早被發現，因為這種鳥並非特別膽小羞怯，而且非常的特殊。
牠目前被歸類為畫眉亞科（鶥）liocichla屬下的第四個種。鶥主要出現在亞洲、非洲及澳洲的林區裡，包含許多種類別，大約有280種。
在印度發現的這個新品種是由羅馬納‧阿塞瑞雅（Ramana Athreya）所發現，他是一位印度的天文學家及熱衷賞鳥人士。他是在鷹巢野生動植物保護區（Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary）內發現這種鳥。該保護區位於印度的阿拉那契佩拉德（Arunachal Pradesh）境內，占地217平方公里。
阿塞瑞雅在1995年第一次見到這種鳥，當時就知道這是一種非常特別的鳥。但之後都沒有再見過牠的蹤影,直到2005年5月，阿塞瑞雅和他的同事們成功地用陷阱捕獲兩隻鳥，不過兩隻他都放掉了，沒有留下任何標本。阿塞瑞雅表示，大部分的鳥是在阿拉那契保護區發現，而在鄰近不丹的林區裡也有一些。而所有的觀測點除了其中一個例外，其餘都是在超過2000公尺的小山坡上，鳥會在伐木後剩餘的濃密矮灌木叢及小樹林裡出現。
阿塞瑞雅說：「很明顯的，這些物種可生長在受到干擾的區域及利用不同的植物生存下來。這些多少與灰胸藪鶥（Emei Shan Liocichla）對棲地的選擇喜好相同。」
阿塞瑞雅提出警告，一條預定的高速公路路線將穿過保護區，許多可觀測到新物種的地方也將被破壞。他表示：「這種鳥可以生存下來，但是並未繁衍眾多。繁忙的高速公路會讓這種特別的鳥在當地失去蹤影，甚至可能就此滅絕。」
A remarkable bird has been discovered in a remote forest in northeastern India, conservationists announced Tuesday. The strikingly multi-colored bird has been named Bugun Liocichla and it is the first new bird species discovered in India in more than half a century.
The black-capped bird has olive plumage with red, yellow, black and white patches on its wing. It is about 8 inches long with red-tipped tail feathers.
The known population of the new species consists of only 14 individuals, including three breeding pairs. The birds are not particularly shy and are very distinctive, said experts, who believe it must be very rare or it would certainly have been found earlier.The bird is the fourth known species of liocichla, a kind of babbler. Babblers are a diverse group of around 280 species found primarily in wooded areas of Asia, Africa, and Australia.
The new species was discovered by Ramana Athreya, an Indian astronomer and avid birdwatcher. He spotted the species within the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, a 217-square kilometer protected area in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
He first saw the bird in 1995 and knew it was "something very special." But he did not spot the bird again until this past May. Athreya and his colleagues were successful in trapping two birds - both were released and no scientific specimen was collected. The species may also exist within forests in adjacent Bhutan and elsewhere in Arunachal Pradesh, Athreya said. All sightings except one have been on hillsides over 2,000 meter, among dense scrub and small trees remaining after logging.
"Clearly the species can exist in disturbed areas and utilize different vegetation," he said. "This is more or less identical to the habitat preference of Emei Shan."
Athreya warned that a proposed highway through the sanctuary and through the area where most sightings have taken place could be devastating for the new species. "The birds survive but clearly they don't thrive," he said. "A busy highway could well push this spectacular bird into local extirpation, which could also be extinction."
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
