Arunachal: Rare bird species 'Bugun Liocichla' spotted at Eaglenest Pass

To nature lovers' delight, a critically endangered and rare bird, Bugun Liocichla, has been spotted at the Eaglenest Pass in western Arunachal Pradesh.

As per reports, only 14-20 such birds are present in the state which is known for having a very attractive plumage and could be seen only in the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in West Kameng district. 

This rare bird species is named after the local Bugun tribe which occupies an area of 3-4 square kilometres in the temperate forest within the traditional lands of Singchung, west of Itanagar. 

As per sources, a male and a female pair were spotted during the Bugun Liochchla Festival on October 11.

Officials of the Bugun Liochchla festival said activists and civilians attending the festival were fascinated by the rare bird exhibiting an olive-grey colouration with a black cap and upper tail.

Notably, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the species as Critically Endangered on its Red List of Threatened Species.

The bird was first discovered in 1995 by astrophysicist Ramana Athreya and again in 2006 at Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve.