A new bird species, Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor, has been recorded for Nepal from Shuklaphata National Park. The new species was confirmed yesterday by experts associated with the Nepal Bird Record Committee of the Nepalese Ornithological Union. This committee consists Nepal's top field ornithologists and scientists representing different organisations.
The new species was spotted during the regular wildlife monitoring and research conducted by Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP) and National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC-SCP). Mr. Dev Raj Joshi, a wildlife technician of NTNC-SCP, first observed the species On 13 May 2023, 16:13 hrs at Kalapani, northern part of ShNP, Kanchanpur district. The area of its observed location is a river floodplain (seasonally flooded area) dominated by Saccharum spontaneum and Acacia catechu. The bird was found collecting food from the ground and feeding in the nearby transmission line.
The Lesser Grey Shrike’s distinguishing features include, its characteristic plumage, extensive black on the forehead, lores and facial mask that extends to the nape side, and light-peach color belly and underparts. The species is a long-distance migrant and is distributed from the Iberian Peninsula to Siberia, Central Asia to Africa. The nearest and most recent record from the western Nepal border was in Ludhiyana, Punjab where the bird was recorded in 2020 (eBird 2023).
Evidence of the new species was first consulted with Mr. Kishore Kumar Mehta, ShNP chief conservation officer, and Mr. Laxmi Raj Joshi, NTNC-SCP project in-charge who after analysis submitted the findings for review and confirmation by national and international bird experts. Some prominent national and international bird experts including Dr. Hem Sagar Baral and Carol Inskipp reviewed the submission and confirmed the species as new to Nepal. With the new record, Nepal now has a total of 892 known bird species.
* Press Release in Nepali available in below attachment.
