KATHMANDU: A new bird species has been identified in the Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal, named the 'White-cheeked Starling' by the Nepalese Ornithological Union. This discovery brings the total number of bird species recorded in Nepal to 895.
Ornithologist Shankar Tiwari made the discovery in Lo Manthang, located at an elevation of 3,840 meters in Upper Mustang within the Annapurna Conservation Area. Tiwari first spotted the bird on May 7 at 8:49 AM while trekking and bird watching with foreign guests. He submitted a photograph of the bird to the Nepal Bird Record Committee for verification.
After consultations and studies involving national and international ornithologists, the Nepalese Ornithological Union confirmed the bird as a new species in Nepal. The White-cheeked Starling, scientifically known as Spodiopsar cineraceus, is commonly found in several Asian countries including China, Japan, Mongolia, Russia, and South Korea, with records of migration to Southeast Asia.
According to Tuli Subedi, chief of the Nepal Bird Record Committee, the White-cheeked Starling is known to breed in various locations in neighboring China and migrates southward during the winter season, often reaching southeastern China and Taiwan. It is believed that the bird discovered in Lo Manthang was on its return journey to its breeding grounds.
