Cambodian Tailorbird: New Bird Species Discovered On Phnom Penh Construction Site [PHOTOS]

Photo: WCS A team of scientists with the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups have discovered a new species of bird with distinct plumage and a loud call living in a capital city of 1.5 million people.

Photo: WCS A team of scientists with the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups have discovered a new species of bird with distinct plumage and a loud call living in a capital city of 1.5 million people.

A tiny bird has been discovered in plain sight – on a Cambodian construction sight. The Cambodian Tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk) is a bird species previously unknown to science that was discovered while making routine checks for avian flu.
A team of scientists with the Wildlife Conservation Society, BirdLife International, and other groups, have outlined the details of the discovery in the Oriental Bird Club journal, Forktail. The first sighting of the Cambodian Tailorbird dates back to 2009 where birdwatchers noticed the grey and reddish bird and mistakenly believed it belonged to an existing species.
It was only three years later, when a bird was found in a partially flooded construction site in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, that scientists began to take a closer look.
"The modern discovery of an undescribed bird species within the limits of a large populous city -- not to mention 30 minutes from my home -- is extraordinary," said Stephen Mahood of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), who was part of the team that investigated the new species, said in a statement.
Between June 2012 and April 2013 more sightings were reported, specimens were examined and scientists concluded that the birds had “significant morphological differences from its close relatives” marking it as a new species.
The bird described by the WCS as a "wren-sized small gray bird with rufous cap and black throat" has also been spotted on the floodplain scrubs outside of Phnom Penh. Authors of the study attribute the newfound discovery to a half century of human conflict in the area that prevented birdwatchers from exploring Indochina.
Another reason could be the familiarity birdwatchers had with the ecosystem where the bird was found.
"This habitat is of little interest to birdwatchers and ornithologists because the other species that it supports are some of the most widespread and abundant birds in tropical South-East Asia," the publication said.
Authors of the study said the Cambodian Tailorbird, one of two species found exclusively in Cambodia, may be threatened with extinction. They recommend classifying the species a "Near Threatened" under the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources)  Red List that determines the risks of extinction for a variety of plant and animal species.

SOURCE : http://www.ibtimes.com/cambodian-tailorbird-new-bird-species-discovered-phnom-penh-construction-site-photos-1323583