KASKI, JUN 24 - Two new bird species have been found in the Annapurna Conservation Area, the country’s largest sanctuary located in the western region.

Paras Bikram Singh, conservation officer at the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), and Sijan Gyanwali, a researcher, spotted Pied Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus) and Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica), putting the total number of avian species in the region at 490.

In course of their three-month long study, the duo reported the sightings of the two new species in Birethanti and Ghandruk areas inside the ACAP that covers five districts—-Manang, Mustang, Lamjung, Kaski and Myagdi.

This is the first time that these species, believed to be found at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level, were found in the conservation area having an elevation range of 790 m to 8,091 m. “The impact of global warming is affecting the migration pattern. Birds normally found in lower elevations are moving higher in search of suitable habitats,” said Singh.

Continued