Bhutan: Finding new bird species

21 new birds found recently; but others declining

By Sharon St. Joan, Best Friends Network

The Tuesday, May 6, online edition of Bhutantoday is reporting that 21 new species of birds have been discovered in this remote country at the foot of the Himalayas.

Altogether, 677 species of birds have been found in Bhutan.

A forest official, Rinchen Drakpa, accompanying 12 birders, spotted the most recent discovery--a Brahminy Starling, formerly seen only in Afghanistan, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka.

24 of the bird species in Bhutan are considered globally threatened, including the White-rumped Vulture, whose population has declined by 80 per cent in the past ten years.

Forest Officer Sherub, who discovered most of the new species, says that the White-bellied Heron, one of the world's most endangered species, has declined by half in the last ten years.

Photo: Wikipedia / Brahminy Starling

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