The Bugun Liocichla
An astronomer birdwatching in Arunachal Pradesh spotted a small, brightly coloured bird no one had ever described. Only a handful are known to exist.
What was reported
In 1995, Ramana Athreya, an astronomer and keen birdwatcher, glimpsed an unfamiliar bird in the forests of Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. It was a small, olive-grey songbird with a black cap and bright yellow, red and white patches on its wings.
It took him years to see it again. In 2006, he described it as a new species and named it after the Bugun people, on whose land it lives.
Explanations offered
The Bugun liocichla was the first new bird species found in India in more than 50 years, and only a few pairs have been seen. Its discovery showed how much remains unknown in the forests of north-east India, and helped protect them.
- When
- Described in 2006
- Where
- Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India
- Witnesses
- An astronomer turned birdwatcher
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.