GUWAHATI: A critically endangered bird going by the name of Bugun Liocichla was spotted for the first time, outside Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh on August 7 and 8. It was spotted by a team of bird watchers led by Lobsang Tsering and accompanied by Nima Tamang.
The rare species was first spotted in Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary in 1995 and was discovered in 2006 by astrophysicist Ramen Athreya. Since its discovery, only 14 pairs of this critically endangered bird have been spotted till date.
The latest sighting was made at an altitude of 1900 metres above sea level in a bamboo forest in Lapche at Shergaon. Only male Bugun Liocichla was spotted on both the days. The video was captured by Lobsang Tsering on his phone.
Shergaon in West Kameng District is identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and Endemic Bird Area (EBA) by Birdlife International where it was sighted. More than 250 species of birds are believed to be found at Shergaon. The sanctuary added another feather to its cap after this sighting. Earlier, birds such as Black-necked crane and Ward’s Trogon have also been spotted in the area.