New Bird Species Found in Phnom Penh

Posted on June 25, 2013

A team of scientists with the Wildlife Conservation Society, BirdLife International, and other groups have discovered a new bird species in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital city of 1.5 million people. The Cambodian tailorbird (Orthotomus chaktomuk), has a distinct plumage and loud call. It is one of only two bird species found solely in Cambodia. The other, the Cambodian laughingthrush, is restricted to the remote Cardamom Mountains.

The wren-sized gray bird with a rufous cap and black throat lives in dense, humid lowland scrub in Phnom Penh and other sites in the floodplain. Its scientific name 'chaktomuk' is an old Khmer word meaning four-faces. This describes the region where the bird is found: the area centered in Phnom Penh where the Tonle Sap, Mekong and Bassac Rivers come together.

The bird is described here in a special online early-view issue of the Oriental Bird Club's journal Forktail. Authors include: Simon Mahood, Ashish John, Hong Chamnan, and Colin Poole of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Jonathan Eames of BirdLife International; Carl Oliveros and Robert Moyle of University of Kansas; Fred Sheldon of Louisiana State University; and Howie Nielsen of the Sam Veasna Centre.

Lead author Simon Mahood of WCS said in a statement, "The modern discovery of an un-described bird species within the limits of a large populous city - not to mention 30 minutes from my home - is extraordinary. The discovery indicates that new species of birds may still be found in familiar and unexpected locations."

The authors say that the bird's habitat is declining and recommend that the species is classified as Near Threatened under the IUCN's Red List.

BIRDS