New Bird Species Found in Cambodia's Capital City, Phnom Penh

Researchers have found a new species of birds in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia with a population of over 1.5 million people.

Many new bird species have been discovered in the recent past. Most of these birds were found in the unexplored regions of Indo-China and Vietnam. However, researchers from Wildlife Conservation Society, BirdLife International, and other groups found the latest bird species in an urban setting, along construction sites.

The bird is called Cambodian tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk) and was discovered in the densely populated city and its suburbs. The newly identified bird is one of the two bird species that are only found in Cambodia. The other bird- Cambodian laughingthrush- lives in the remote Cardamom Mountains.

Tailorbirds meticulously weave their nests and belong to the warbler family, BBC said. For the study, researchers thoroughly analyzed the birds' plumage and songs.  

The Cambodian tailorbird lives in the dense, lowland scrubs in Phnom Penh and other areas on the floodplain. Currently, very few places in the city are inhabited by the birds as the scrubs are disappearing due to increasing population. These birds are mostly found just outside the city.

The grey-colored bird has a rufous cap and a black throat and its scientific name 'chaktomuk' is an old Khemer word that means 'four-faces'.

The study team claims that the bird is losing its habitat in the region and must be classified as Near Threatened under the IUCN's Red List.

"The modern discovery of an un-described bird species within the limits of a large populous city - not to mention 30 minutes from my home - is extraordinary," said Simon Mahood from Wildlife Conservation Society "The discovery indicates that new species of birds may still be found in familiar and unexpected locations."

 "Most newly discovered bird species in recent years have proved to be threatened with extinction or of conservation concern, highlighting the crisis facing the planet's biodiversity," Jonathan C. Eames of BirdLife International's OBE and co-author of the study said in a news release.

Other newly discovered birds in the recent past include many babbler species from isolated mountains in Vietnam and a strange bare-face bulbul, according to WCS.

A detailed description of the bird is published in the Oriental Bird Club's journal Forktail.