KATHMANDU, May 17: A new species of bird has been discovered in the Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal. The Nepalese Ornithological Union has registered this new species under the name 'White-cheeked Starling'.

With this discovery, the total number of bird species found in Nepal has reached 895.

Shankar Tiwari, an ornithologist from Nepal, discovered the bird in Lo Manthang, situated at an altitude of 3,840 meters in Upper Mustang within the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Tiwari spotted the bird at 8:49 AM on May 7 while trekking and bird watching with foreign guests. He sent a photo of the bird to the Nepal Bird Record Committee for verification.

The Nepalese Ornithological Union confirmed the bird as a new species to Nepal after consultations and studies with national and international ornithologists.

The bird, identified as the White-cheeked Starling, has the scientific name Spodiopsar cineraceus. It is commonly found in China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, Russia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam in North and East Asia. Additionally, it has been recorded as a migratory bird in Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand.

"This bird is found in various places in Nepal's neighboring country China and also breeds there," said Nepal Bird Record Committee chief Tuli Subedi. In winter, these birds regularly migrate south and spend the season in southeastern China and Taiwan.

It is assumed that the bird found in Lo Manthang arrived during its return journey to its breeding area.

 
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