Découverte au Népal d’une nouvelle sous-espèce de la Prinia de Burnes

Nepalese scientists have recorded a new subspecies of the Rufous-vented Prinia Prinia burnesii at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR) of east Nepal. This new taxon from Nepal is nammed Nepal Rufous-vented Prinia Prinia burnesii nipalensis. The adult of this new subspecies has overall olive-grey to light brown plumage. The head and nape are greyer compared to the browner back, wings and tail. In most individuals, there is faint whitish supercilium which reaches behind the eye. The head is densely streaked compared to back. On the back, the streakings are bolder compared to the ones in head. The juveniles are similar to adults but slightly less marked on the head and body. Light rufous undertail coverts were visible in one young bird caught. All birds seen and heard were located on grassland patches on small islands of the Koshi River.
The bird was first recorded by Ornithologist and Chairperson of Nepal Rare Birds Committee (NRBC) Mr Suchit Basnet and Mr Badri Chaudhary on 1 April 2005 at Koshi Tappu.
This finding has been published in Bird Conservation Nepal’s quarterly bulletin Danphe (Vol 16 No 4 December 2007).