A rare bird species typically found in India and Southeast Asia has been spotted in southwest China, providing valuable material for research of the endangered animal.
A beautiful nuthatch was pictured among a group of other bird species during a field inspection in Yunnan's Daweishan National Nature Reserve from April to May, Mo Mingzhong, a wildlife official in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, said on Monday.
"The beautiful nuthatch is extremely rare and was barely found in China before, so it is quite significant to even have taken a picture of the bird," Mo said.
Chinese scientists obtained a specimen of the species for the first time in 1972, but there has been no systematic research since then, said Wu Fei, an ornithologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
He Yongming, deputy head of Daweishan National Nature Reserve, said that park staff will enhance protection for the birds.
The beautiful nuthatch is listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
