New warbler species found in China

Photo: Per Alstrom

SICHUAN BUSH WARBLER

(Locustella mandelli)

A new bird species, named the Sichuan Bush Warbler, has been discovered in Central China.   The shy, russet-coloured bird breeds in the mountains of the Sichuan Basin at 1000 to 2300 metres.   This warbler was first noticed because of its distinctive, insect-like song in 1992, by two researchers, who, after nearly two decades of subsequent searching, found the bird again.   Analyses of the Sichuan Bush Warbler's DNA, its physical measurements, its russet plumage colour and vocalizations have confirmed that this is in fact a new species of bird to science.

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BarrytheBirder