Even with the millions of different species of animals that exist on Earth it is still a bit shocking when a new species is discovered, especially when it's a species of bird that has been living in a city of over a million people. Yet that's what happened when scientists discovered the Cambodian Tailorbird living in the middle of Phnom Penh, according to CBS News.
The bird was first discovered during a routine check for avian flu and was mistaken for an Ashy Tailorbird in January of 2009. Three years later the bird was seen again and scientists were able to get a closer look and came to the conclusion that the bird was actually a distinct, unknown species of Tailorbird. Since then officials have found at least 100 of the birds living in the Cambodian capital, according to CBS News.
The discovery was written about in a journal dedicated to Oriental birds, Forktail. The BBC spoke with Simon Mahood of the Wildlife Conservation Society and one of the co-authors of the article about the discovery.
"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," Mahood said. "The discovery indicates that new species of birds may still be found in familiar and unexpected locations."
According to the description in Forktail, the bird is wren-sized with a grey coat and pale underbelly; males have black streaks on their throats. The most obvious feature of the Cambodian Tailorbird is its cinnamon colored crown. The bird is known to let out loud and lengthy calls, according to CBS News.
"Asia contains a spectacular concentration of bird life, but is also under sharply increasing threats ranging from large scale development projects to illegal hunting," Steve Zack, bird conservation coordinator for the Wildlife Conservation Society, said in a statement. "Further work is needed to better understand the distribution and ecology of this exciting newly described species to determine its conservation needs."
