"The only bird that looks remotely like it is the Emei Shan liocichla, which is known from only a few mountains in central China, more than 1,000 kilometers [620 miles] from Eaglenest."
Ramana says detailed comparisons of the two species revealed key differences in their calls and markings, confirming that the Bugun liocichla is new to science.
The findings are published in the latest issue of the journal Indian Birds.
Aasheesh Pittie, the journal's editor, hailed the discovery as "miraculous," adding, "It's a stunning species with no geographically close relatives, and in a part of the world where bird collectors have sampled birds for more than a century."
Richard Thomas of the bird conservation group BirdLife International, based in Cambridge, England, said, "It's absolutely staggering that this thing hasn't been seen before in India."
"Apparently they are not particularly shy or difficult to see," he said. "Clearly it must be very thin on the ground. It's not that this bird has been tucked away—it's just that it's very, very rare."
On average, a previously unknown bird is discovered every one to two years globally, Thomas adds.
(Related: "'Lost World' Found in Indonesia Is Trove of New Species" [February 2006].)
Tiny Population
The known population of the Bugun liocichla consists of only 14 individuals and includes three breeding pairs.
Most of the sightings have been on hillsides covered by shrubs and small trees where larger trees have been logged for timber.
Ramana's report suggests that the bird is able to live in forests degraded by these practices.
"A lot of babblers are true forest birds, but by no means all," Thomas, of BirdLife International, said.
"These [Bugun liocichla] babblers actually don't go for pure forest. They tend to be scrub-edge [birds]."
Bird conservation experts say that, given the current known population, the loss of just one individual could set the Bugun liocichla on the road to extinction.
Researchers plan to survey the surrounding region for other populations using tape recordings of the Bugun liocichla's call.
While this liocichla species was found within a protected wildlife sanctuary, the birds may still be threatened by development, Thomas warns.
"Sadly, they are planning to put a road right through their core area," he said.
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