The Birdie Song!

Researchers were able to find and identify a secretive and elusive bird in central China because of its distinctive song.

10:13 06 May 2015

Sichuan bush warbler, a secretive and elusive bird in central China, was found and identified by researchers because of its distinctive song. The new species, Locustella chengi, was named after Prof Cheng Tso-hsin, a distinguished Chinese ornithologist. 

 

One of the researchers said: "These birds are almost impossible to see when they are not singing.” 

 

"If the species had not been singing when we first heard it back in 1987, we would never have seen it.

 

"They are incredibly difficult to see because they are so secretive, sneaking around in the dense vegetation, close to or on the ground. But when they are singing, you can hear them from quite a long distance.

 

He added: "By being patient or using tapes to attract them, you can see them - although they will stay in the dense habitat."

 

The song of the new species was described to consist of a drawn-out note followed by a shorter note that are repeated in series.” 

 

The team of researchers, from Sweden, China, Vietnam, the UK and US carried out a DNA analysis and confirmed that the new specie is closely related to russet bush warbler. They added that the two were probably separated from a common ancestor about 850,000 years ago.