A shy bird found only in Nepal is waiting for the world to notice
Nepal’s shrubby hillsides are home to a medium-sized bird with brownish upperparts, distinctive black streaks from the shafts of its feathers and, sometimes, a chalky white facial patch. It’s the spiny babbler (Turdoides nipalensis), a mysterious bird, recorded only in Nepal. In June, the bird made headlines with a sighting for the first time in the […]
A shy bird, known only to reside in Nepal's shrubby hillsides, has finally made its presence known in a new province. This medium-sized bird, with its brownish upperparts, distinctive black feather streaks, and sometimes a white facial patch, is the spiny babbler (Turdoides nipalensis). Though it was first recorded in Nepal just months ago, sightings of the elusive bird have now been documented across all seven provinces of the country.
In June, ornithologists Hathan Chaudhary and Suraj Baral made history by identifying the spiny babbler in Madhesh province for the first time, at a modest elevation of around 443 meters (1,450 feet). This marks the first time the bird has been spotted in Nepal's southern lowlands, expanding its known range from the remote forests of the Himalayas to the foothills of Phulchowki and the outskirts of Pokhara.
Despite its limited known habitat, the spiny babbler remains poorly understood. Researchers and ornithologists are now calling for global attention to study and protect this mysterious bird. "We still don't know a lot about the bird and have no scientific data to back its population, movements, exact breeding season/months and the effects of increasing human settlements," said Kamal Raj.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
