Kakadvitta: A new species of bird locally known as ‘Baijani Bungechara’ or ‘Purple-rumped Sunbird’ has been discovered for the first time in Nepal. Ornithologist Devendra Kharel first observed a pair of the bird on the morning of February 19 in a local garden in Kakadvitta, Jhapa district. The bird is primarily found in India, Sri Lanka, and other countries.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Kharel took pictures and made a video of the pair, which he later sent to the Nepal Bird Records Committee for verification. Kharel shared that the Nepalese Ornithological Association confirmed on Tuesday that the bird is new to Nepal. With the discovery of ‘Baijani Bungechara’, the number of bird species found in Nepal has reached 898.
A resident of Mechinagar-6 in Jhapa, Kharel has already earned a distinct name for himself among ornithologists in the country by taking photos and videos of a rare species of bird locally known as ‘Hangrayo’, which was assumed to be extinct in Nepal.